Financial crisis in the district: Is Ludwigslust-Parchim at risk of leaving the Deutschlandticket?

Financial crisis in the district: Is Ludwigslust-Parchim at risk of leaving the Deutschlandticket?

In the Ludwigslust-Parchim district, participation in the Deutschlandticket and the associated on-call bus project is at risk. District Administrator Stefan Sternberg (SPD) sounds the alarm and criticizes the insufficient relief funds to finance local transport, which do not reach the district as necessary. The SVZ reports that the municipal transport company was missing two million euros last year and three million euros so far this year. Overall, a deficit of five million euros has accumulated.

Sternberg has already pointed out the predicament several times, most recently in a letter at the end of last week. The outstanding funds for the Deutschlandticket are described as a federal problem, which puts additional strain on the situation. The project with on-demand buses, which was set out in the coalition agreement between the SPD and the Left, could also fall by the wayside.

Economic concerns in the district

Although Ludwigslust-Parchim is considered to be economically strong, it is clear that the district can no longer balance its budget. Of the 12,000 subscribers to the Deutschlandticket, only 1,800 purchased their ticket from the local transport company. This makes it clear how low the income from this program is locally.

If there is no clear regulation on the distribution of revenue from the Deutschlandticket by the beginning of October, the Ludwigslust-Parchim (VLP) transport company is threatening to no longer accept the ticket in its own tariff system. An attempt to redistribute revenue is already scheduled for October, taking into account shoppers' postcodes and tourism considerations.

Political reactions and the future of local transport

Sternberg even goes so far as to threaten to withdraw from the Deutschlandticket if the situation does not improve. In a fire letter to Economics Minister Wolfgang Blank and Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig, he calls for urgent measures to eliminate the deficits. The NDR informs that the VLP's deficit was 2.7 million euros last year and had already risen to three million euros by the end of July this year.

Wolfgang Waldmüller, CDU member of the state parliament, is also concerned and considers the unfair distribution of revenue to be unacceptable. He supports Sternberg's position and makes it clear that without a solution, the entire local transport infrastructure in the district is at risk. This also includes the on-call buses and discounted tickets for trainees and seniors.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs in Schwerin emphasizes the importance of stable financing of the Deutschlandticket. Next Thursday, a special conference of federal and state transport ministers will take place in Munich, where financing and possible ticket price increases will be discussed. Given the current situation, local transport in the district is facing major challenges - whether it can overcome these remains to be seen.