Driving (a Vehicle) At an Older Age - Ticket instead of driving licence - Hesse is lagging behind
The offer is simple: Those who surrender their driver's license upon reaching a certain age receive a ticket for public transportation (ÖPNV) - usually for half or a full year. Some cities in neighboring federal states, such as Hannover, Bonn, or Leverkusen, offer this. In Dortmund, the offer is not age-limited but only valid for two months. How does it look in Hessian communities?
Main metropolis bets on environmental bonus
In Frankfurt, the city is counting on "reducing the number of cars – to combat climate change and to keep traffic in the city efficient in the future." Frankfurt is growing with its residents and jobs, which means larger commuter flows, but the road space is not growing.
Since July 1, there has been an environmental bonus: All Frankfurt residents – including seniors – receive a Germany ticket annual subscription if they scrap or sell their private combustion engine car. It's too early for a balance on the acceptance of the environmental bonus, but first results are expected next year.
Many cities offer nothing
The city of Kassel has no such offers, a spokesperson said. However, 23 people over 70 years old voluntarily gave up their driver's license in 2023. Five people have done so this year. In Darmstadt, such programs are not offered, but the city refers to offers from the state of Hesse and the Rhine-Main transport association (RMV). Seniors aged 65 and over can travel throughout Hesse and some adjacent areas with the "Senior Ticket Hesse" for one euro per day.
The districts of Gießen and Marburg-Biedenkopf do not offer any special programs to encourage seniors to give up their driver's license. Giving up a driver's license is not legally regulated but is assumed in many regulations of the Road Traffic Act.
Numbers in districts low
In the Main-Kinzig district, between 30 and 35 people voluntarily surrender their driver's license each year. In the Kassel and Offenbach districts, the numbers have been around 20 in recent years. In many districts, the number is extremely low: "Voluntary driver's license surrenders are extremely rare here, estimated at perhaps two to five cases per year," for example, in the Vogelsberg district. In Limburg-Weilburg, the number is below five, and in the Odenwald district, it's a maximum of two per year.
There has been an increase in the Hochtaunuskreis, from 79 cases in 2019 to 147 in 2020, and it has since remained at a similar level. This could be due to a free annual ticket for seniors in the city of Bad Homburg, which they receive if they voluntarily give up their driver's license.
Police program
The Hesse police offers the statewide traffic prevention program "MAXimally mobile." It aims to raise awareness that performance decreases with age and can affect road safety. The action is directed at those over 65 who participate in public road traffic.
EU Commission Proposed Time-Limited Driver's Licenses for Seniors
In Germany, driver's licenses for cars and motorcycles are generally valid for life and do not expire. Exceptions apply only to truck drivers.
Recently, the EU Commission proposed that older drivers should renew their licenses more frequently than younger ones and submit to medical tests. However, the European Parliament rejected this. Now, it's up to member states to decide whether to introduce mandatory regular health checks for drivers. "Germany does not want such compulsory examinations," emphasized Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing.
The German Road Safety Council also rejects mandatory checks on the driving fitness of seniors, deeming it disproportionate. Older people, compared to their population share, have an underproportional involvement in accidents, it was stated.
In Hessian communities, senior citizens can still travel throughout Hesse and some adjacent areas with the "Senior Ticket Hesse" for just one euro per day, even if they haven't surrendered their driver's licenses. On the other hand, Frankfurt offers an environmental bonus to all its residents, including senior citizens, who scrap or sell their private combustion engine cars, receiving a Germany ticket annual subscription as a result.
