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Off: Sabine Leidig fights.
The activist and former Left Party member of the Bundestag is collecting signatures for an extension of the 9-euro ticket.
Because that will expire in a few days - and how it will continue after that is open.
Sabine Leidig
:
First of all, the 9-euro ticket has to stay.
Secondly, there needs to be a massive expansion of local public transport and the money has to be redistributed.
We still have blatant billions in car subsidies in this country or billions in air travel every year.
And we just want the money to go away from harmful traffic and towards sensible traffic.
And that's where public transport comes first.
Off: Since its launch in early June, more than 38 million €9 tickets have been sold, plus 10 million subscribers to public transport monthly tickets that have been converted into €9 tickets.
Almost all Germans know the ticket, more than half are in favor of an extension according to surveys.
Reporter:
The 9 euro ticket expires in a few days.
What do you think?
Man I:
I think it's a pity, because it's important to travel so cheaply by bus and train.
Woman I:
It's a shame, because then you always have to think about buying a ticket again.
Reporter:
And did you use it often?
Woman I:
Yes.
Yes.
Definitely.
Man II:
Yes, I have to admit, it doesn't concern me.
I am not from Berlin.
I'm taking my mother to the train station right now.
I'm from Mecklenburg.
With us on the flat land.
Public transport anyway very modest.
That means I always drive a car anyway, because otherwise I can't cope.
Woman II:
Well, we found it very practical that you could also use local public transport here.
And didn't have to buy an extra card.
Mann III:
I don't have the feeling that we've done ourselves any favors because of course the problems with Corona and staff absences are causing more and more trains to be cancelled.
Then the 9-euro ticket comes on top of that.
That said, at the end of the day, I don't think it was such a good advertisement for the mode of transport.
Woman III:
Oh, I'm a little sad.
I would make it longer.
But it's not like that.
We got to know places where we would never have driven before or not driven at all.
Not?
Off:
But now the ticket will expire in a few days – new edition uncertain.
The crux of the matter: the federal and state governments are fighting over funding.
The state of Berlin wants to single-handedly extend the 9-euro ticket for the capital by the end of the year.
But a uniform solution for the whole of Germany is not in sight.
The SPD and the Greens are calling for a continuation, but the FDP is hesitant.
Finance Minister Christian Lindner even complains about the free mentality that came about as a result of the 9-euro ticket.
Critics consider this to be pure clientele politics:
Andreas Knie:
In contrast to these statements, one must again state that the car is the biggest recipient of subsidies.
And motorists in particular have a free mentality with us.
For example, that they believe that they can park their private car in public space for practically nothing.
It's a free mentality.
Here in Berlin it costs practically nothing.
And if you have a resident parking permit, it costs 10.20 euros for a whole year.
A parking space costs us all around 3,000 euros a year.
That means accusing public transport users of a free mentality is cynicism.
Off:
Various models for a new, cheaper local transport ticket are currently being discussed.
The price would probably have to rise – otherwise it would hardly be possible to finance it in the short term.
But how much can a 9-euro 2.0 ticket cost without it becoming too expensive for too many people in view of high inflation and energy costs?
Traffic researcher Andreas Knie makes suggestions for a sustainable connection solution.
Andrew Knie:
One price for everyone.
And we have long since heard from our investigations that 29 euros is a line that must not be crossed.
Up to 29 euros, people find this interesting and attractive.
And the second thing is we have to expand the offer.
Because of course another attractive part of the ticket was that I knew I always had the right ticket.
I never have the wrong ticket, except for the long-distance trains, of course.
They have to go in too, they still have capacity.
That means we have to expand the 29-euro ticket to include this long-distance transport, the ICs and ECEs and the ICEs.
And finally, one last component is missing.
Of course you have to go to the bus stop first.
Of course, the bus rarely comes, especially in rural areas.
And above all you have to go to the bus or train station first.
That's why we demand that the last mile, i.e. the trip by taxi, can be a pooled taxi trip that is also included in the 29 euros, including a flat rate for taxis, so to speak.
Off:
But as of now there will be none of these successor models.
What does that mean for people in Germany?
Sabine Leidig:
This is really a slap in the face to millions of people who have now somehow seen how good it can be, how good it can be, and how useful it is.
And if they somehow suddenly stand in front of the ticket machine or at the counter and are told 80 euros if they want a monthly ticket.
Then it's just rude.