91 percent of Hamburg students use the free Germany ticket!

91 percent of Hamburg students use the free Germany ticket!

There is a remarkable trend in Hamburg: Over 90 percent of students use the newly established Deutschlandticket, which was introduced ten months ago. So have loud Sat.1 Regional 91 percent of eligible children and young people have now taken advantage of the ticket. This corresponds to around 206,000 students who have since enjoyed the advantages of local and regional transport.

A look at the age groups reveals some differences: Older people in particular, i.e. those over 18, use the ticket most often - here the numbers are an impressive 98 percent. However, primary school students, i.e. 6 to 10 year olds, have the lowest usage rates, at 84 percent. This is an aspect that Rosa Domm, the Green Party's mobility expert, also noticed. She emphasizes the successes of the ticket for climate and social policy, but also sees the need to increase awareness of the offer in districts such as Harburg, Bergedorf and Wandsbek.

Free ticket from September

Another highlight is the planned introduction of a free Germany ticket for schoolchildren from September 2023. According to hamburg.de This means significant financial relief for the families, as the monthly costs were previously 19 euros. From then on, students will be able to use local and regional transport nationwide free of charge, which also applies during the holidays.

Ksenija Bekeris, Senator for Schools and Vocational Training, spoke enthusiastically about the measure. She sees the advantages for the mobility of students both in everyday life and in their free time. From August, the free ticket will also be available to order digitally, which should simplify access. Students between the ages of 6 and 15 only need to state their age, while those aged 16 and over require proof of eligibility, which can be submitted online as a picture or scan.

A step towards climate-friendly mobility

In total, around 210,000 students live in Hamburg at 482 schools that are qualified for the free travel offer world.de reported. Senator Anjes Tjarks emphasizes that this innovation not only ensures better mobility, but also makes an important contribution to climate-friendly mobility. The decision to reduce the ticket to zero euros will cost taxpayers around 98 million euros annually, which is already budgeted for in the school board's budget.

However, the continuation of the project is in jeopardy as Tjarks is calling on the federal government to provide the promised funds to finance the Deutschlandticket for 2024. It is clear that the free student ticket is an important step in the right direction and has the potential to encourage many young people to use public transport - a win-win situation for everyone.