9-euro ticket: the federal states stand across - Bahn announces the start of sales

Created: 05/15/2022, 17:11

From: Julius Fastnacht

Next week, the federal and state governments should decide on the 9-euro ticket.

The railways are already announcing the sale, but parts of the Federal Council are critical.

Berlin – For three months, bus and train travel for nine euros each – what sounds good has been causing a dispute at the federal and state levels for weeks.

The project of the traffic light coalition must be decided on Thursday (May 19) by the Bundestag and a day later by the federal states in the Bundesrat.

Now comes criticism from the south.

"If the federal government believes that it can be applauded on the back of the federal states for a three-month consolation and that others should pay the bill, then it has made a huge mistake," said Bavaria's Minister of Transport Christian Bernreiter (CSU).

He currently does not see how the Free State can agree to the law in the Bundesrat.

If the federal government does not fully compensate the cost of the ticket, it will run into a wall.

9-Euro-Ticket: Hard criticism from Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg

Baden-Württemberg's Transport Minister Winfried Hermann (Greens) also warned in the Süddeutsche Zeitung: "All federal states [...] have made it clear together that the basic financing problems of public transport will not be solved by the 9-euro ticket." If not the federal government is willing to increase funds for local transport, the 9-euro ticket could fail in the Federal Council.

The 9-euro ticket is still on shaky ground: the federal states are dissatisfied with the federal government's financing plans.

© dpa/Moritz Frankenberg

The chairwoman of the conference of transport ministers, Bremen's Senator Maike Schaefer (Greens), also agreed with the criticism.

Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) should have known after the transport ministers' conference in Bremen at the beginning of May at the latest that the approval of the federal states is shaky.

"If the nine-euro ticket [...] now tips over, the Federal Minister of Transport will have to take responsibility," said Schaefer.

9-euro ticket: Minister of Transport rejects criticism from the Federal Council

The minister last rejected the criticism on Friday (May 13).

The accusation that the federal states were left with part of the costs is not true, Wissing said in the ARD "Morgenmagazin".

"The federal government assumes the full costs".

The desire of the federal states to get more money for local public transport in the long term and permanently is another matter.

This is currently being discussed in a working group.

"You can't mix things up."

And SPD faction deputy Detlef Müller also warned the countries against a veto: "People are looking forward to the ticket, and anything other than its rapid introduction on June 1st from tactical games would produce great frustration," he told the Handelsblatt.

A failure in the Federal Council is not primarily embarrassing for Wissing, but for the federal states.

9-euro ticket: Bahn names the date for the start of sales

In June, July and August, the special tickets should enable trips in local and regional transport nationwide – for 9 euros each per month.

The ticket is part of a relief package due to increased energy prices.

The federal government would finance the ticket by providing the federal states with 2.5 billion euros to compensate for loss of income.

Even before the vote in the Bundestag and Council, Deutsche Bahn named May 23 as the date for the start of sales on Sunday (May 15).

The ticket is then available via the DB Navigator app, all other digital rail channels and at Deutsche Bahn ticket machines and travel centers.

(juf with dpa/AFP)