From May 23rd, travelers should be able to buy the cheap ticket. But the project is politically controversial.
(Photo: dpa)
Berlin In the Bundesrat, Bavaria is threatening to block the upcoming vote on the 9-euro monthly ticket. According to Deutsche Bahn, the ticket will be sold from May 23rd. “If the federal government believes that it can be applauded on the back of the federal states for a three-month consolation and that others should pay the bill, then it has been hugely mistaken,” said Bavaria’s Minister of Transport Christian Bernreiter (CSU) of the German Press Agency in Munich.
If the federal government does not fully compensate for the costs of the ticket and does not significantly increase the regionalization funds as promised in the coalition agreement, it will run into a wall in the Bundesrat.
“Under the current conditions, I don’t see Bavaria being able to approve the law in the Bundesrat. A real relief for the citizens would be a permanent strengthening of local public transport through more federal funds for a better offer,” emphasized Bernreiter.
Instead, the federal government offers “a flash in the pan”, at the end of which there is a risk of significant performance restrictions in view of the permanent problems such as high fuel prices. “Anyone who lets the countries, without which the implementation would not work, run up in the negotiations shouldn’t be surprised if nothing comes out of it in the end.”
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According to plans by the federal and state governments, the special tickets should enable trips in local and regional transport nationwide in June, July and August – for 9 euros a month and thus much cheaper than normal monthly tickets.
Controversial trial offer
The tickets are part of the traffic light coalition’s relief package because of the high energy prices. At the same time, it should be a taster offer to win more customers for buses and trains. With the 9-euro ticket, there is “a unique opportunity to get more people excited about local public transport and climate-friendly rail in the long term,” said Jörg Sandvoß, head of the responsible railway subsidiary DB Regio.
The federal government finances it by giving the federal states 2.5 billion euros to compensate for loss of income. The law is to be sealed in the new week by the Bundestag and Bundesrat. The private bus industry recently warned of the negative effects of the 9-euro monthly ticket, especially on long-distance bus trips.
Consumers should be able to buy the 9-euro monthly ticket from Deutsche Bahn from May 23 – provided the project makes it through the legislative authorities. The ticket is then available via the DB Navigator app and all other digital rail channels, Deutsche Bahn announced on Sunday. “It will also be available at around 5,500 Deutsche Bahn ticket machines and in over 400 DB travel centers in train stations,” it said.
According to Deutsche Bahn, the 9-euro ticket will always be valid from the first to the last day of each month. So if you only access it in the middle of the month, you can only drive around with it for the remaining half of the month. From the start of sales, however, it should be possible to buy tickets for all three months at the same time.
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