In the dispute over the financing of the so-called 9-euro monthly ticket, Transport Minister Winfried Hermann (Greens) 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.
With the monthly ticket, passengers can use local public transport nationwide from June for nine euros – in all cities and across all network borders. Sales are scheduled to begin on May 23.
9-Euro-Ticket: Is the project failing due to the financing?
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.
“All federal states, regardless of the coalition colors, have made it clear together that the fundamental 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.”