“Real revolution in public transport”
Bundestag pushes 49-euro ticket to the finish
3/16/2023 9:03 am
The continuation of the 9-euro ticket from the summer of 2022 can start punctually on May 1: The Bundestag decided today to finance the “Germany ticket”. This will make public transport easier and cheaper, says Greens parliamentary group leader Dröge.
The 49-euro ticket cleared the last hurdle in the Bundestag today: After months of debate, Parliament is to decide on the financing of the so-called Deutschlandticket. The ticket should be available “at an introductory price” of 49 euros in digital subscriptions that can be canceled monthly and are valid nationwide on buses and trains in local public transport.
The Deutschlandticket is a successor to the 9-euro ticket, which was valid for three months in the summer of 2022 to relieve frequent drivers and commuters. “The nationwide valid 49-euro ticket is a real revolution in public transport,” said Green Party leader Katharina Dröge ntv.de. “For many people, it makes bus and train significantly cheaper.” People with monthly tickets would save several hundred euros a year.
The main dispute was about the financing of the 49-euro ticket. The federal government is now contributing 1.5 billion euros annually from 2023 to 2025, which will also be made available to the federal states – which are responsible for public transport. In the current year, the federal government is also financing half of the additional costs that may arise for the introduction of the ticket.
Dröge emphasized that the 49-euro ticket is “good for the climate and it leads to fewer traffic jams on the roads”. At the same time, the traffic light “eliminates an incredible amount of bureaucracy because the ticket is valid throughout Germany, in all transport associations and is therefore easy to use,” said the Greens parliamentary group leader. “We Greens have campaigned a lot for the introduction of the 49-euro ticket. I’m extremely happy that we are now passing the law together as a traffic light this week. With the 49-euro ticket, we’re showing what is possible in transport policy , if we act decisively together. For strong public transport that is becoming easier and cheaper.”
The term “introductory price” in the draft law indicates that later increases are not excluded. However, the traffic light in the transport committee has added a change to the cabinet draft to ensure that the federal and state governments agree on pricing “and agree on this in a suitable form with parliamentary participation politically”. SPD faction deputy Detlef Müller told the German Press Agency: “Our goal is to keep the price stable for as long as possible.” If price changes were necessary, they could only be made with the participation of the Bundestag.
The Germany ticket should be valid from May 1st. After the Bundestag, the Bundesrat still has to agree.