Germany ticket: Price increase ensures a hot argument!

Germany ticket: Price increase ensures a hot argument!

Niedersachsen, Deutschland - It's about love money! Lower Saxony's Minister of Transport Grant Hendrik Tonne recently made a clear statement on the Germany ticket. He emphasizes that the price of the ticket must be cheaper than driving to increase the attractiveness of local public transport. The price is currently 58 euros per month, an increase of 49 euros at the beginning of the year. The crucial question remains: is the ticket for commuters actually a good Alternative?

Indeed, the number of uses speak for themselves: Over 14 million people now rely on the Germany ticket, which enables trips throughout German local and regional traffic. Many of these users were hardly found in public transport before, which is definitely a success. According to a study, between 12 and 16 percent of the trips with this ticket took place beforehand by car. And not to forget: The ticket helps to save 4.2 to 6.5 million tons of CO2 annually, which the environment is certainly happy.

dispute over financing

Despite these positive aspects, tensions are emerging. A dispute between the federal and state governments through the financing of the Germany ticket is imminent. The federal and state governments currently share the funding of 1.5 billion euros per year. However, it becomes uncomfortable because the regulation in the regionalization law is only valid until 2025. "A uniform solution is needed," demands Tonne, who considers a fair cost division to be essential.

The opinions of the countries are different, as which concerns the upcoming debate about the increasing costs after 2025. Representatives of the federal states want a stronger participation of the federal government in the expenditure from 2026. The focus of the discussions will be the special conference of transport in Berlin, which takes place on June 27th. Here it is expected from all sides that a sustainable concept will be presented.

The future of the ticket

The long -term stability of the financing is an important concern, because customers must not bear the costs alone. Political debates about the ticket are counterproductive, warns Baden-Württemberg's transport minister Winfried Hermann. The coalition agreement between the CDU, CSU, and SPD is committed to continuing the Germany ticket by 2029, but users should adapt to a significantly higher price from 2029.

Mobility researchers even suggest that a price of 29 euros would be required to win new customers. Critics say that the current price makes the Germany ticket unaffordable for many people, while at the same time suggestions for more investments in the traffic infrastructure and a new ticketing system are on the table.

How the debate continues remains exciting. However, one thing is certain: If the Germany ticket wants to remain a serious environmentally friendly alternative to the car, it has to gain attractiveness - both in pricing and financing. It remains to be seen whether the federal and state governments can agree on a solution in good time.