Munich (dpa / lby) - After the end of the 9-euro ticket on August 31, union representatives should find a successor plan. The regional associations of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) and the Railway and Transport Union (EVG) in Bavaria are campaigning for a nationwide 365-euro ticket.
The three-month phase of the 9-euro ticket must be evaluated, said DGB Bavaria chairman Bernhard Stiedl on Saturday. "But one thing is already clear: Attractive, uncomplicated and inexpensive public transport offers meet with great approval among people and are an important factor in decisively advancing the mobility turnaround, especially in Bavaria." A 365 euro ticket from 2023 would be a solution.
Stiedl said that the 9-euro ticket showed the failures of transport policy in recent years. There is a lack of vehicles and staff, the infrastructure has reached the limit of its capacity, and rural regions are often poorly connected to local public transport. Significant investments are needed in these areas.
The branch manager of the EVG in Nuremberg, Matthias Birkmann, also sees a need to catch up. The staff had been exposed to extreme stress in the past few months. "Our goal is inexpensive and high-quality public transport for everyone - but only on fair terms for employees." In the long term, free local transport is conceivable. Before that, capacities would have to be expanded. A 365 euro ticket could be a temporary solution.
For three months, millions of people traveled all over Germany with the 9-euro ticket in buses and regional trains. The discount campaign ends at the end of August. Whether there will be a follow-up offer is currently being hotly debated.
