With the 9-euro ticket, many discover public transport in a completely new way. Transport Minister Wissing hopes that the ticket, which was invented to relieve the burden on citizens, will provide impetus for a changed tariff structure. With this he runs into many open doors.
Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing's plans for a supra-regional local transport tariff have met with a positive response. The tariff structure in local public transport is very complicated in Germany, said Andreas Schröder from Pro Bahn of the German Press Agency. Initiating a change here is therefore "fundamentally to be welcomed". In view of the persistence of the transport associations, this will certainly not be easy. A possible model would be, for example, a "kilometer-based tariff".
The past few weeks have shown that the monthly ticket for nine euros, which is limited to June, July and August, has also resulted in additional leisure traffic "that would otherwise not have taken place". This can be observed above all on routes that are interesting for tourists and where regional trains run parallel to long-distance traffic on long route sections.
When considering a follow-up regulation for the 9-euro ticket, care should be taken "not to create unnecessary traffic". A positive effect of the 9-euro ticket is the "disruptive character," said Schröder. This has shown - beyond the difficult financial issues - that fundamental changes are possible.
Green party leader Britta Haßelmann also advocated a permanent follow-up regulation for the 9-euro ticket. "Using the 9-euro ticket shows what a model for success it is," Haßelmann told the Tagesspiegel. Affordable and simple offers where people do not have to think about tariff zones are used. You will certainly not be able to “continue 1:1” with the current offer, because the expansion of public transport is also part of it. "But we are thinking about what a permanent successor to the nine-euro ticket could look like: What would be an attractive offer that people would actually take advantage of?" Here the federal and state governments are asked to develop ideas together.
Federal Transport Minister Wissing had told the "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung" that after the expiry of the time-limited 9-euro ticket, he wanted to campaign for a permanent simplification of the tariff system in local public transport. "If the complicated tariff zones disappear and the tickets are valid nationwide, local public transport will be used much more," said the FDP politician. "We should therefore finally find ways to end the tariff jungle in Germany."
