Dusseldorf This Monday is a kind of turning point for local public transport: Because the Deutschlandticket starts on May 1st. Millions of customers can then travel through the country unhindered by the complicated fare structures of the transport associations – by bus, tram, S-Bahn and regional trains.
The ticket is sold as a monthly cancelable subscription for 49 euros per month. It is issued as a mobile phone ticket or chip card. With a transitional period until the end of the year, it can also be purchased as a paper ticket with a QR code.
But are bus and train companies prepared for the foreseeable rush of travelers? Doubts are appropriate: bus drivers are scarce, many are about to retire, and public transport has image problems.
Without bus and tram drivers, nothing works in local public transport. And the future looks bleak: Vacancies are difficult to fill, many drivers turn their backs on the job for reasons of age or motivation.
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