Travel as much as you want by bus and train: that’s what the Deutschlandticket promises.
However, it is unclear how long the price of 49 euros will last.
Munich – millions of passengers are gradually able to assess for themselves: is the future Deutschlandticket worthwhile for all buses and trains in national local transport?
It depends on practical conditions from ticket purchase to possible take-along options, which still have to be clarified.
And there is not much time left until the planned start on May 1st.
But the price also counts, which is a tempting 49 euros per month for the introduction.
This is clearly cheaper than what commuters usually pay for regional subscriptions.
But one thing is uncertain: How long will the 49 euros stay?
The consumer centers are demanding a multi-year price guarantee.
The mobility expert of the Federal Association (vzbv), Marion Jungbluth, says that "a binding commitment from the federal and state governments is needed that the ticket price of 49 euros per month will remain stable until the end of 2025".
Until then, federal funding has been promised.
Germany ticket: How long will the price of 49 euros remain?
She warned against possibly even adjusting the price annually.
These would be devastating signals for the success of the ticket, which is “actually a Germany subscription”.
Because if you decide to change an existing subscription now, passengers would need a "reliable price statement".
In fact, the federal and state governments make no secret of the fact that the 49 euros are expressly an "introductory price".
Later increases are therefore possible.
The official name is therefore also Germany ticket, not 49-euro ticket.
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Local and regional transport passengers can use the 49-euro ticket from May.
(symbol photo)
© Marcus sleep
A digitally bookable, monthly terminable subscription is planned.
It is intended to build on the popular 9-euro ticket from the summer of 2022 and continue to bring relief in the high inflation.
The new, permanent offer is also an incentive to switch to bus and train - without any complex tariff zones and at a reasonable price.
In order to lure people willing to switch, there are some price guarantees for electricity and gas, i.e. promises to keep prices stable for a certain period of time.
With the Deutschlandticket, however, there are cautious signals from politics and the industry in this regard.
The Federal Ministry of Transport referred to earlier government statements that the 49 euros should last at least in the first year of 2023.
The North Rhine-Westphalian department, which chairs the conference of state transport ministers, said that there are currently no plans for an increase.
"The introductory price is set," said a spokesman on request.
However, the federal and state governments have agreed to check the ticket price annually.
The background is that the offer can only be financed with extra billions from the state treasury.
A long struggle between the federal and state governments for a 49-euro ticket
After a long struggle with the federal states, Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) introduced a bill to the Bundestag.
According to this, the federal government wants to provide an additional 1.5 billion euros from 2023 to 2025 in order to compensate for half of the loss of income from transport providers.
The federal states should pay for the other half.
The Association of German Transport Companies explained how the federal and state governments decided on the ticket price.
From the point of view of the providers and transport associations, a full compensation for reduced income and rising costs, for example for salaries and energy, must also be guaranteed in the future.
Bus and train operators should not get into difficulties and be forced to thin out or discontinue offers.
"That wouldn't be good for the passengers either," said general manager Oliver Wolff.
(lma/dpa)
List of rubrics: © Marcus Schlaf
