With the 9-euro ticket, passengers can use public transport nationwide from June for nine euros a month – in all cities and across all network borders. Sales are scheduled to begin on May 23. The prerequisite, however, is that the Bundestag and Bundesrat agree to the project this week.
There is still a dispute over funding. The federal government is financing the project by transferring 2.5 billion euros to the federal states to compensate for the loss of income. That’s not enough for them. The federal states want the federal government to significantly increase the regionalization funds – this is money that the federal government makes available to the federal states every year to finance local rail passenger transport.
9-euro ticket: Dispute over financing still unresolved
Transport Minister Winfried Hermann (Greens) has already warned of a blockade. If the federal government is not prepared to increase the regionalization funds, the overall package of fuel discount and 9-euro ticket could fail in the Bundesrat, Hermann announced on Sunday in Stuttgart. An informal conciliation procedure could still prevent the impending blockade.
“All federal states, regardless of the coalition colors, have made it clear together that the basic financing problems of local public transport (local public transport) will not be solved by the 9-euro ticket,” said Hermann. “If the federal government is not willing to increase the regionalization funds, the entire package of fuel discount and 9-euro ticket could fail in the Federal Council.”
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s Transport Minister Reinhard Meyer (SPD) is also demanding further commitments from the federal government before the 9-euro ticket is introduced. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania will decide on Tuesday how it will decide in the forthcoming vote, Meyer said on Sunday. “My recommendation is: No approval as long as the federal government does not provide additional regionalization funds to make the public transport offer sustainable.” Otherwise, the 9-euro ticket as an incentive makes no sense.
9-euro ticket: Transport ministers of the federal states threaten with a blockade
Bavaria’s Transport Minister Christian Bernreiter (CSU) had previously made a similar statement. “If the federal government believes that it can be applauded on the back of the federal states for a three-month consolation patch and that others should pay the bill, then it was very wrong,” he told the German Press Agency. If the federal government does not fully compensate for the costs of the ticket and does not significantly increase the regionalization funds, it will run into a wall in the Bundesrat.
“Under the current conditions, I don’t see Bavaria being able to approve the law in the Bundesrat. A real relief for the citizens would be a permanent strengthening of local public transport through more federal funds for a better offer,” says Bernreiter. Instead, the federal government offers “a flash in the pan”, at the end of which there is a risk of significant performance restrictions.