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Thuringia is not threatened with a hangover on the Germany ticket

The Deutschlandticket could no longer be valid for buses in the district of Stendal in Saxony-Anhalt from 2024. In Thuringia, the responsible ministry is concerned about this development. However, the all-clear has been given for bus and rail customers in the state.

A "D-Ticket" in chip card format. Photo.aussiedlerbote.de
A "D-Ticket" in chip card format. Photo.aussiedlerbote.de

Ministry - Thuringia is not threatened with a hangover on the Germany ticket

Bus and train customers in Thuringia are not facing the kind of hassle with the Deutschlandticket currently experienced in the district of Stendal in Saxony-Anhalt. The municipalities have been obliged by the state to introduce the ticket - in return, the Free State will reimburse the additional costs, explained a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Infrastructure when asked.

To the ministry's knowledge,Thuringia is the only federal state in which this "he who orders, pays" principle has been enshrined in local public transport legislation. This means that there is no risk of individual transport companies not recognizing the ticket from 2024. "We must defend the 49-euro ticket," said Minister President Bodo Ramelow (Left Party) a few days ago at a meeting with district administrators in Erfurt. Financing with the federal government is secured for 2024, but 2025 is still open.

Districts satisfied with regulation

The President of the Thuringian County Association, Martina Schweinsburg, spoke of a viable solution that had been found between the state and local authorities in Thuringia. There is a "financial claim of the districts against the state" for reimbursement of the additional costs of the ticket. However, the Deutschlandticket is not the top priority for rural areas. "The cities and their surrounding areas are the main beneficiaries," said the CDU local politician. In rural regions, the main issue at the moment is that more buses can be used and drivers are available.

In the district of Stendal, the district council had not approved a resolution to recognize the Deutschlandticket. This means that the ticket will no longer be valid on buses there from January 1. The district had expected additional costs of 40,000 euros for the first four months of the year. A special district council is due to meet next week to decide again on the recognition of the Deutschlandticket. The state had previously promised the districts a further 10 million euros in funding.

Ministry worries about nationwide tariff

The Thuringian Ministry of Infrastructure is concerned about the development in Stendal, as the spokesperson went on to say. "If more transport companies were to follow Stendal's example, a patchwork would be created and the Deutschlandticket would fail to achieve its aim of offering a single local transport tariff in Germany."

Read also:

  1. Despite facing challenges in Saxony-Anhalt's District of Stendal, bus and train customers in neighboring Federal state of Thuringia are not subjected to the same issues with the Germany ticket.
  2. In contrast to the district of Stendal, Thuringia is the only federal state in Germany where the 'he who orders, pays' principle is embedded in local public transport legislation, ensuring ticket recognition by all transport companies from 2024.
  3. In the city of Erfurt, Thuringia's Minister President Bodo Ramelow (Left Party) expressed his resolve to maintain the 49-euro ticket, as financing from the federal government is secured for 2024, but the future beyond that remains uncertain.
  4. The President of the Thuringian County Association, Martina Schweinsburg, acknowledged a favorable arrangement between the state and local authorities, guaranteeing districts a financial claim for reimbursement of additional ticket costs.
  5. However, rural areas like the district of Stendal have other pressing concerns, such as ensuring enough buses and drivers for their routes, as the Deutschlandticket is not a top priority for these areas.
  6. In an attempt to address these concerns, the district of Stendal initially refused to acknowledge the Deutschlandticket, resulting in its invalidity on buses from January 1, and anticipating additional costs of 40,000 euros in the beginning of the year.
  7. Wary of this trend, the Thuringian Ministry of Infrastructure voices concern over the possibility of more transport companies adopting Stendal's stance, which could eventually result in a fragmented local transport tariff system across Germany.

Source: www.stern.de

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