Clear deficits revealed: BUND presents "9-Euro-Ticket" evaluation

Created: 08/25/2022, 12:37 p.m

By: Tom Otto

The administrative district of Swabia is also not doing well when compared to other regions in Bavaria: almost every third person in the survey stated that there was no hourly public transport connection within one kilometer.

© Tom Otto

Munich/Memmingen – For three weeks, the Bavarian nature conservation organization BUND asked almost 10,000 people about their experiences with the 9-euro ticket, which is about to expire.

At the beginning of this week (08/22/2022), the largest nature and environmental protection association in Bavaria, with over 261,000 members, presented the results.

According to this, almost two thirds (64 percent) use local public transport (ÖPNV) more frequently with the “9-Euro-Ticket” than before.

However, the evaluation of the survey also revealed clear deficits in the specific design and quality of public transport.

70 percent described local public transport as very busy or even "significantly overcrowded".

The regional differences in the assessment of public transport are also very drastic: While the transport associations in Munich and Nuremberg experience a very high level of acceptance, Lower Bavaria brings up the rear in terms of public transport connections.

The administrative district of Swabia is also further behind.

The well-known urban-rural differences are clearly documented by the survey.

The survey is not representative, but due to the large number of respondents it is very groundbreaking in its political dimension.

SURVEY: Did you use the “9 Euro Ticket”?

For BUND chairman Richard Mergner, it is an important contribution to environmental and climate protection when people leave their cars at home.

In order to achieve a real change in people's thinking, however, there must be a permanently affordable offer for public transport.

“The social component is also not to be underestimated.

With the '9-Euro-Ticket', social participation was also possible for poorer people,” says Mergner.

The BUND Naturschutz has therefore made five central demands and called for a nationwide valid 365-euro annual ticket, combined with a cheap offer for people on low incomes that is comparable to the "9-euro ticket".

"Don't duck away, but recognize responsibility"

Addressed to Federal Minister of Finance Christian Lindner, the BUND chairman emphasized that such a ticket could be financed if one wanted it politically.

There is enough money, it only has to be shifted from subsidizing climate-damaging mobility and waste in road construction to promoting public transport.

The BUND addressed the Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder with the demand “not to duck away”, but to recognize the state-wide responsibility for local public transport.

After all, five Bavarian districts lead the ranking in the "worst accessibility by bus and train" category.

In a Germany-wide comparison, Bavaria is thus second to last when it comes to public transport.

Common tariff structure: creating a mobility concept beyond the city limits

The BUND demands that the small Bavarian state with over 40 different, impenetrable transport associations of its own must be ended and, especially in rural areas, a continuous ticket that is valid everywhere must be introduced.

It also follows on from Memmingen's mobility concept that was presented last winter.

In order to increase the attractiveness of public transport regionally and nationally, it must be possible to easily cross borders with just one ticket.

"This requires a harmonization of the offer, tariff and clock structures as well as the digital networking and provision of information to create a common mobility platform and an attractive wide-ranging offer," it says.

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The cooperation for a joint regional design of mobility is of great importance for the acceptance of public transport.

The neighboring municipalities of Memmingen that have been surveyed so far have shown great interest in working together.

The creation of a common tariff structure beyond the city limits is currently being tried and is expected to be presented towards the end of this year, the city council said last December.