Frankfurt/Main (dpa/lhe) - According to the VDV transport association in Hesse, local public transport can cope with the influx of passengers that is expected after the introduction of the 49-euro ticket. According to the current assessment, the capacities are sufficient, said the Hessian VDV chairman Thomas Wissgott of the German Press Agency. Depending on the route, the 9-euro ticket led to very high demand. The numbers of the pre-Corona period were not reached overall.
Wissgott spoke out in favor of retaining the mask requirement on public transport, as it increases the safety of passengers: "You also have a responsibility towards your fellow human beings."
Looking ahead to the new year, the managing director of Verkehrsgesellschaft Frankfurt described fuel and energy costs as a major challenge. The procurement is not the issue, but the question of what price this happens.
Added to this is the lack of staff. Nationwide, 3,000 train drivers were missing. Bus drivers and qualified technicians are also wanted. "Hessen is no exception," said Wissgott. Vacancies in some areas of activity are almost impossible to fill. Poaching bonuses of up to 3000 euros would be paid in the industry.
The need for skilled workers is enormous. "We're talking about the traffic turnaround, we're talking about expansion, but we don't know which people we should do it with," said Wissgott. This can be felt by the passenger during waves of illness when trips are cancelled. But there are also technical problems - partly due to disrupted supply chains.
