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Minister of Transport Wissing: »Many people would use their bikes and trains more often if they could park their bikes or e-bikes safely at the station«
Photo: Felix Zahn / photothek / IMAGO
By bike to the train and then onwards by rail in an environmentally friendly way: This combination could advance climate protection in Germany and encourage more people to switch from cars to local public transport.
According to Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP), however, many citizens are prevented from doing so by insufficient parking space for bicycles at the stops.
Now states, municipalities, transport associations and companies are to be funded with 110 million euros for the construction of bicycle parking garages, collective locking systems and bicycle parking towers by 2026.
"Many people would use bikes and trains more often if they could safely park their bikes or e-bikes at the station," Wissing told the editorial network Germany (RND).
The funding program is scheduled to start on Monday.
Wissing hopes for positive effects, especially in interaction with the railways.
Here the bike could become an attractive alternative for longer distances and rural areas, said the minister.
Nationwide, there is a lack of up to 1.5 million bicycle parking spaces at train stations alone.
"One thing is clear: if I park my bike at the train station in the morning and continue with the Germany ticket, I want to be sure that I will find it there after my working day," Wissing told RND.
The traffic light coalition wants to promote local transport with the 49-euro monthly ticket, which is valid throughout Germany.
The special offer is valid from May 1st and should be available as a digitally bookable, monthly subscription.
The offer should build on the popular 9-euro ticket from last summer.
Certain groups, such as seniors or students, could benefit from further discounts with the 49-euro ticket.
fek/AFP
