Local public transport - State transport minister sees Germany ticket in danger
Baden-Württemberg's Transport Minister Winfried Hermann (Greens) fears that the Deutschlandticket will fail. "I am simply very worried that something is going wrong. We have far too little funding and we are taking on a lot," he told the magazine "Spiegel". "The federal states only got involved in the Deutschlandticket experiment for good reason, because the federal government is covering half of the costs." He accused the federal government of "changing the rules of the game in the middle of the game". This was not good style and would create a funding gap.
Hermann was referring to a cut of 350 million euros in federal funding for regional transport announced by the Federal Ministry of Finance. "The 350 million is probably exactly the amount that will remain from the federal funds in 2023 and is to be carried over into the next year. Now the Ministry of Finance presumably wants to cut it. That would be audacious and also a major threat to the Deutschlandticket," explained the transport minister.
The Association of German Transport Companies (VDV) pointed out that ten million customers had used the Deutschlandticket - including one million new customers who would otherwise have traveled by car or bicycle. "The Deutschlandticket has established itself since its launch in May 2023," VDV President Ingo Wortmann told Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND).
This shows the overall potential of the Deutschlandticket for climate protection, added the head of the association. "We need to persuade even more customers to switch from car to public transport. To do this, we need a secure and long-term financing perspective for the Deutschlandticket." It has not yet been clarified who will bear any additional costs for the Deutschlandticket in 2024. The current price of 49 euros could be raised next May.
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- Despite the concerns expressed by Winfried Hermann, the Germany ticket has proven to be popular, with ten million customers using it, including one million who would have otherwise relied on their personal vehicles or bicycles.
- The cut of 350 million euros in federal funding for regional transport announced by the Federal Ministry of Finance has raised concerns among transport ministers like Hermann, as it could significantly impact the financial sustainability of the Germany ticket.
- In Germany, the Germany ticket has not only affected local public transport users but has also impacted the consumption habits of consumers, who have now opted for railroad transportation over personal vehicles, as highlighted by the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV).
- The future of the Germany ticket remains uncertain, as it has not yet been clarified who will bear the additional costs for the ticket in 2024, and speculation surrounds the possibility of increasing the current price of 49 euros.
Source: www.stern.de
