Debate about the successor to the 9-euro ticket: Greens present concept – it consists of two tickets
Created: 08/05/2022 17:31
By: Momir Takac
Free travel for the citizens: the coalition is arguing about the extension of the 9-euro ticket.
© Arne Dedert/dpa
Is there a successor to the successful "nine-euro ticket" model?
There are numerous proposals, the latest concept comes from the Greens.
Berlin - The nine-euro ticket for journeys by train was rated as a success soon after its introduction in June.
The Federal Statistical Office has now presented figures that also support this.
According to this, 46 percent more people used public transport in the second quarter than from January to March.
Compared to the same quarter of the previous year, it was even 74 percent more.
In addition to the nine-euro ticket, the Federal Statistical Office cited the relaxation of the corona measures as the reason.
Successor to the 9-euro ticket: the federal government wants to pass on the costs to the federal states
But at the end of August the coveted ticket is over.
Successor models have been discussed for some time because of their attractiveness.
Lower Saxony, for example, proposes a purely northern German model.
Sticking points of the debate: At what price should there be a possible connection ticket, and what does the financing look like?
While the federal states are in favor of a follow-up offer, the federal government, which has made up for all the loss of income, is reluctant to do so.
Christian Lindner recently said that there could be no follow-up regulation.
The Federal Minister of Finance also rejected an extension.
His FDP party colleague and Transport Minister Volker Wissing also expressed reservations and said that the federal states would have to see "how they want to finance it".
Nonetheless, Wissing considered a follow-up regulation of the nine-euro ticket to be possible.
Successor to the 9-euro ticket: Greens propose regional and federal tickets
Meanwhile, the debate continues.
According to
Der Spiegel
, the federal and state governments want to talk about the topic on August 19.
A new proposal from the Greens has already leaked out.
According to a concept paper available to the
ARD capital
studio, there will be two cheap train tickets in the future: a regional ticket for 29 euros and a federal ticket for 49 euros.
While the regional ticket is primarily aimed at commuters, the federal ticket should be valid throughout Germany and break through the previous "tariff jungle," says the paper, which was designed by the party, parliamentary group and NRW Transport Minister Oliver Krischer.
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Successor to the 9-euro ticket: Greens want to divide Germany into zones
In addition, Germany is to be divided into eight zones in which the regional ticket can be purchased for 29 euros a month.
But this division would complicate matters.
The regional ticket would be valid “at least nationwide”, but also for “regions such as Berlin-Brandenburg or Bremen-Hamburg-Lower Saxony”, as explained in the paper.
For financing, the Greens propose the abolition of the company car privilege.
(mt)