The German ticket will soon be one year old. Since May 1, 2023, it can be used nationwide on local and regional transport.
The monthly price is usually 49 euros - but for how long? This is a question that the transport ministers of the federal states are dealing with today and tomorrow in Münster. However, groundbreaking decisions are unlikely. Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) is missing in Münster, he is abroad and is sending two state secretaries. The ticket is not just an incentive to switch to public transport, said North Rhine-Westphalia Transport Minister Oliver Krischer (Greens), as chairman of the Transport Ministers' Conference. It also makes a contribution to climate protection and reduces the burden on commuters by billions. But there is still homework to be done, said Krischer. The transport ministers decided in January that the price of the German ticket would remain stable this year. But nothing has happened here since November. The Association of German Transport Companies (VDV) demands that the discussion at the transport ministers' conference should not stop at the Deutschlandticket. The background is also a planned “expansion and modernization pact” for local public transport. The availability of buses and trains must be increased, said Krischer. “But for this, we need investments in the expansion and maintenance of the railways. The Federal Railway Expansion Act is in the mediation committee after it failed to get a majority in the Bundesrat due to financial issues. In addition, a law passed by the Bundestag on new road traffic regulations failed to achieve the required majority. The states have stopped two federal projects, especially behind the scenes, that the states have stopped for the time being. The federal government's billions in so-called regionalization funds, which the states and transport associations use to order rail and bus connections from transport companies, have been a bone of contention for years - the states are demanding significantly more money.