Enlarge image
Franziska Giffey advocates a successor solution for the 9-euro ticket
Photo: MICHELE TANTUSSI / REUTERS
Berlin's Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey has spoken out against tax cuts and an increase in child benefit - and is instead pleading for a successor solution to the 9-euro ticket.
"The question is whether - if you do more and more of the same thing - that helps in places where people need help," said the SPD politician to the television station "Welt".
»If I make another child benefit increase, then that's nice for those who get it.
But again you don't have the older people with you, the pensioners, you don't have the students with you either.«
The 9-euro ticket, on the other hand, was a great success and really relieved a lot of people.
The three-month campaign was intended to support commuters in the face of high energy prices and to promote a switch from cars to buses and trains.
District council against, BUND for it
Giffey contradicted Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP), who reaffirmed his rejection of an extension.
The user fees are necessary for meaningful control.
Free is not better.
»We need limited tax funds for investments in the network infrastructure.«
Read more about the Finance Minister's tax package here: Lindner wants to relieve citizens of ten billion euros
The German District Association also speaks out against further discount campaigns.
"This would not be a sustainable investment," said President Reinhard Sager (CDU).
The tariffs for local public transport (ÖPNV) are not too expensive compared to the costs of your own car.
Additional subsidies are not necessary.
The German Association for the Environment and Nature Conservation, meanwhile, accused Lindner of mocking people who financed company cars for higher earners and the construction of the Autobahn with their taxes.
More bus and train lines with shorter intervals are necessary, especially in rural areas, in order to attract more people to public transport: "For this, the 9-euro ticket needs a follow-up offer and the public transport offer needs significant improvements."
Association managing director Antje von Broock supports the idea of a 365-euro annual ticket.
Federal funds are also necessary for the massive expansion of supply.
"Only in this way will traffic be able to meet its climate targets at all."
According to the Association of German Transport Companies, around 38 million 9-euro tickets have been sold nationwide since the start of sales at the end of May up to and including Monday.
In addition, around ten million subscribers received a corresponding discount every month.
»Like a magnifying glass«
"The 9-euro ticket has shown the problems in regional traffic like a magnifying glass," said the head of the General Works Council of DB Regio, Ralf Damde, to the editorial network Germany: "There are not enough staff and, in particular, too few vehicles to cope with the increase of passenger numbers in the future," he said.
"The federal government must finance a central vehicle pool, which is equipped with at least 300 vehicles and is located at several locations in Germany."
The Chairwoman of the General Works Council DB Station & Service, Heike Moll, advocates a round table.
She rejects a direct continuation of the 9-euro ticket: “First of all, we need a month or two so that we can sort and evaluate.
What went well, where did problems arise?” Moll told the editorial network Germany.
She is happy that people want to travel by train again.
Now, however, everyone involved, from the federal and state governments to the railway companies and trade unions, would have to sit down and “discuss what can be achieved”.
sak/dpa