“Ball in the field of the federal states”
Traffic light advertises “Deutschlandticket Fahrrad”
February 12, 2024, 2:05 a.m
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Many holders of the Deutschlandticket use it to go on bicycle trips into the region. The Greens and FDP suggest that the states set up a tariff for this. The rules for taking children with you should also be uniform in all federal states.
MPs from the traffic light coalition are urging the federal states to improve the 49-euro ticket and introduce uniform regulations for taking bicycles with you. The Green Party’s transport expert in the Bundestag, Nyke Slawik, told the Düsseldorf “Rheinische Post” that she could well imagine a “Deutschlandticket bicycle”. “This requires the creation of a uniform bicycle tariff for the Deutschlandticket.” In addition, families would have to be relieved. Therefore, they want to “make it possible for children up to 14 years of age to be included on the ticket throughout Germany,” added Slawik. The FDP MP responsible for bicycle traffic, Valentin Abel, told the newspaper: “I think it would be good if there were the same transport rules for the Germany ticket across the board. The ball is clearly in the states’ court.”
The spokeswoman for the General German Bicycle Club (ADFC), Stephanie Krone, emphasized to the newspaper that additional bicycle tickets were far too expensive almost everywhere. It is therefore necessary to take bicycles on local trains free of charge. “Just get on with the Deutschlandticket – and you’re done,” demanded Krone.
“No 365 euro ticket”
However, the price for the Germany ticket is likely to rise in the future even without additional transport options. The amount of 49 euros is only secured for the year 2024. The transport industry is already expecting surcharges from 2025. “The ticket is not a 365 euro ticket that cannot be increased,” said the President of the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV), Ingo Wortmann, at the end of January. “The ticket is actually one that you have to increase and adjust to the cost.” With the current tariff, no transport company is able to maintain local public transport services without financial support. How much more expensive the subscription has to become also depends on how much companies’ costs continue to rise and how much the federal government expands its financial support.
Transport experts argue that the Germany ticket is already too expensive at 49 euros. Currently 11 million people use it by subscription. The VDV hopes for up to 15 million users.