- Wissing wants a customer rush on the German ticket
Federal Minister of Transport Volker Wissing wishes for a surge in customers using public transport. "Of course, one must manage it, but convincing as many people as possible to switch to bus and train is exactly what we want," the FDP politician said in an interview with Deutsche Presse-Agentur in Mainz. The federal states should consider how they can attract more customers. "Because the more people use the Germany ticket and public transport overall, the more attractive the price can be in the future."
Wissing calls the ticket a "digitalization concept for public transport."
Currently, the Germany ticket, which allows unlimited use of buses and trains in regional and local transport nationwide, costs 49 euros per month. By changing the Regionalization Act, the federal government has ensured that the price will remain stable this year, as unspent funds from 2023 can be used for its financing. However, the transport ministers of the states have announced a price increase for the coming year.
Wissing urged the states to not diminish the success of the 49-euro ticket with debates about price increases, but to quickly address the question of "how can we advance the digitalization of public transport and how can we make more data available to make the offer more attractive for people?" The minister said to dpa in Mainz: "The Germany ticket is a digitalization concept for public transport." The ticket lays the foundation for more digitalization. "The states and transport associations must build on this and further improve customer friendliness."
"We still have trains that are almost empty," said Wissing. "And on the other hand, we have trains that are overcrowded and whose low frequency frustrates people." It must be about aligning the offer more with users and using existing capacities as best as possible. "For that, we need data."
Wissing emphasized the importance of utilizing data to enhance the user experience, stating, "To align our offer more with users and use existing capacities as best as possible, we need data." Additionally, he highlighted the need for collaborative efforts to advance digitalization, mentioning, "The states and transport associations must build on this digitalization concept of the Germany ticket and further improve customer friendliness."
