9-euro ticket: Prices in local transport could rise sharply after the offer expires
Created: 05/31/2022, 10:51 am
By: Stella Henrich
The Association of German Transport Companies expects prices to increase in local transport once the cheap 9-euro ticket has expired.
Munich - "In the medium term, we will have to turn the missing funds over to fares or limit the offer," says Ingo Wortmann, President of the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV), to the
editorial network Germany
.
Ticket prices would continue to rise;
not directly on September 1st, "but in the next price rounds", the President continued.
"Unfortunately, we then get into the situation where people who are already burdened have to pay more for their journeys."
Although Wortmann sees the 9-euro ticket as positive, he does not assume that many people will permanently switch to buses and trains.
This is proven by his previous experiences with particularly favorable offers in local public transport.
Because "first the offer has to be right, the price is secondary."
9-Euro-Ticket: Strengthening of day tourism between the coast and the Harz Mountains
Holger Heymann, Chairman of the Lower Saxony Tourism Association (TVN), also expects the ticket to be well received.
It should lead to an increase in day tourism for the summer between the coast and the Harz Mountains.
"When the weather is nice, I can well imagine that inland tourism will be massively promoted," said Heymann, according to the German Press Agency (dpa).
On the other hand, from his point of view, it is rather unlikely that holidaymakers with buses and trains will be able to spontaneously head for longer stays this summer, for example on the North Sea and on the islands - because most holiday accommodations, especially on the coast, are usually booked a year in advance in the high season .
The 9-euro ticket is a good incentive for people who do not otherwise use public transport to use it more, Heymann continues.
At the same time, therein lies the problem;
because if you create such a high demand, "we have overcrowded buses and trains", which could deter people who use these modes of transport anyway.
Heymann believes that new guests could then possibly stay away due to a lack of capacity.
9-euro ticket: Attacks on employees in buses and trains possible
President Wortmann fears that overcrowded buses and trains will create a charged mood among travelers and passengers.
"I don't want to talk about chaos, but there will be a lot of full trains and buses."
He therefore even considers it possible that "in extreme cases" attacks on employees are also possible.
According to its own statements, Deutsche Bahn alone has sold 2.7 million 9-euro tickets to date.
"In any case, this shows that the 9-euro ticket is not a slow seller, but a real hit," says Bahn boss Richard Lutz.
The VDV has now launched its own sales app for the 9-euro ticket.
This means that customers now have the option of purchasing the 9-euro ticket via the app.
9-euro ticket: In addition to the price, the range and frequency of the travel option are also decisive
And Holger Heymann continues to hope that after "the three-month test phase of the 9-euro ticket has expired", the federal government will come to the conclusion "that it was worth betting on this future of mobility." favorable price offer - also on the offer and frequency of the travel possibilities.
According to Heymann, there is often a lack of developed local transport, especially in rural areas.
also read
Sunflower oil price in Austria makes Germans mad - "What do you say to that?"
Changes in June: 9-euro ticket, tank discount and vaccination certificate - consumers have to be prepared for this
"If we could offer an ingenious bus service locally, there would be a good chance that spontaneous travelers would arrive using this means of transport." Even holidaymakers with longer stays would then be able to choose their accommodation more according to the public transport connection options.
Heymann sees the responsibility of the federal government as well as the municipalities when it comes to expanding climate-friendly local transport.
9-euro ticket: Passengers can travel through Germany with the ticket for three months
With the 9-euro monthly ticket, passengers can use local public transport throughout Germany in June, July and August.
The tickets are part of the relief package from the traffic light coalition because of the high energy prices and should also be an incentive to continue using public transport.
The ticket is valid on all local public transport, i.e. on buses, underground, S-Bahn, tram and regional trains, but not on ICE and IC long-distance trains.
Not only new customers benefit from the offer.
The transport associations have announced that they will relieve subscription customers by refunding the difference to their regular ticket.
