The high fuel prices are threatening the existence of some companies in the transport industry.
The district expects compensation payments for public transport.
Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen – With the beginning of the Ukraine war, fuel costs in Germany rose.
It's not just a problem for drivers.
"The transport industry is suffering extremely from the price pressure," Matthias Schmid, public transport expert at the district office, made clear on Monday at the meeting of the district infrastructure committee.
The district expects compensation payments.
Strictly speaking, they would have to be booked as “voluntary benefits”.
The Munich Transport Association (MVV) has received the order for the connections in the district for the period from 2014 to 2024.
So his calculation is based on the fuel prices of 2012, explained Schmid.
Now it gets complicated for a moment: In the event that the costs increase by more than two percent during the order period, it is contractually agreed that the district will compensate for this index increase.
This is always billed retrospectively for the year.
The companies must therefore make advance payments.
That adds up at the moment: compared to 2021, fuel prices rose by 15 percent in March, Schmid calculated.
"The transport companies are unable to make ends meet." In some cases, the situation is threatening to exist.
District fears for student transport
The MVV asked the district administrators in its area of operation for help.
The RVO is also in contact with District Administrator Josef Niedermaier.
The MVV's proposal would be to cover the financing gap after three months and until next year in accordance with the index regulation, according to Schmid.
So far, one assumes 108,000 euros.
The district would not be contractually obliged to make an early settlement, it would be a voluntary service.
On the other hand, a cost increase of 15 percent is an "unprecedented situation", stressed Schmid.
The profit margin is certainly well under ten percent.
If a transport company stopped driving, “we would have a problem.
Our school transport depends on it," says the public transport expert.
For this reason, the administrations of the affected districts are "without exception," said Schmid.
"We can't watch companies go bankrupt"
Michael Häsch (CSU) warned: "We cannot watch the companies go bankrupt." However, he also pointed out that the rising prices would also pose problems for other areas.
And the additional costs, some of which are controlled by the state, would ultimately burden the communities, i.e. everyone.
Häsch announced an increase in ticket prices.
But that is not a solution, replied Jakob Koch (Greens).
"We are hitting schoolchildren, senior citizens and the socially disadvantaged with this," he emphasized.
The committee did not have to decide on an extraordinary cash injection on Monday.
Schmid and third District Administrator Klaus Koch (Greens), who chaired the meeting, considered a warning to be appropriate as a basis for decision-making.
On the agenda was the RVO's offer to introduce a half-hourly service for route 9608 between Kochel am See and Walchensee this summer.
That would cost the district an extra 65,000 euros.
The committee spoke out in favor of this despite the financially uncertain situation.
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