Germany will see follow-up to €9 ticket in future, says Transport Minister
German Transport Minister Volker Wissing says there will be a successor to the nationwide €9 monthly public transport ticket once funding can be worked out - but he remained vague on details and what the price of the ticket could be.
In a radio interview, Wissing said he wanted to "simplify the public transport structures, digitalise them" and offer a "better fare structure" in Germany.
It comes as the three-month offer, which saw public transport available in Germany for just €9 per month, is set to end.
From Thursday, September 1st, regular prices for riding buses, trams, the U-Bahn, S-Bahn and regional trains will return and people won't be able to use a single ticket to travel on local networks across Germany.
READ ALSO: 5 things to know about public transport in Germany after the €9 ticket
Wissing said the success of the €9 ticket means that people have voted for change.
"People took the (€9) ticket to their hearts right from the start and saw the opportunity," he said. "By buying many tickets, people voted that it (public transport) shouldn't stay this way, and that's why I want us to simplify the public transport structures, digitalise them, and we need a better fare structure. There has to be something new."
When asked if Wissing is in favour of any of the ideas put forward for a follow-up ticket - such as the Social Democrats' €49 ticket idea - Wissing was non-committal in his answer.
But he did say that he had convinced his colleague, Finance Minister Christian Lindner, also of the Free Democrats (FDP), that there had to be a new offer. Lindner has consistently refused to entertain the idea of a follow up €9 ticket due to funding concerns, and even slammed the “freebie mentality” surrounding the ticket.
On the sidelines of the recent train launch of Deutsche Bahn's 100th ICE 4, Transport Minister Volker Wissing holds a €9 ticket presented to him by an environmental activist next to Malu Dreyer (SPD), state premier of Rhineland-Palatinate, and Richard Lutz (l), CEO of Deutsche Bahn (DB). Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Arne Dedert
"In recent days, I have had many discussions with the Federal Minister of Finance and have been able to convince him, with good arguments, that we need better public transport fare structures,' said Wissing. "That's why he, too, is behind the concept of doing something better than what we have had in public transport so far."
"What is important, of course, is that in the end there is joint financing between the states and the federal government."
When pushed on what a successor ticket could be, Wissing said authorities needed to work out "what such a ticket should look like, where it can apply, how we can finance it together, what the states can contribute".
"And if we know exactly what the structure of the ticket should be, how it should be distributed, then at the end of the day the question must be: How do we structure the price?" he said.
On Wednesday morning, Lindner posted a photo of the two politicians and said: "Volker Wissing has convinced me: he can implement a nationwide, digital ticket with a fraction of the funding of the 9EuroTicket/s. Now it's the states' turn. When the funding issue is clear, the price can be set."
Volker @Wissing hat mich überzeugt: Er kann mit einem Bruchteil der Finanzmittel des #9EuroTicket|s ein bundesweit nutzbares, digital buchbares Ticket realisieren. Jetzt sind die Länder dran. Wenn die Finanzierungsfrage klar ist, kann der Preis festgelegt werden. CL #WissingWirkt pic.twitter.com/cqenBVOj9P
— Christian Lindner (@c_lindner) August 31, 2022
READ ALSO: The German states pushing for €9 ticket follow-ups
In the radio interview Wissing said the public deserved "improved tickets that offer more, that are valid throughout Germany, that can be purchased more easily, via digital structures".
He added: "After all, things can't just stay the same forever if people expect them to improve, to become more modern."
According to industry figures, around 52 million €9 tickets have been sold. The government financed the campaign with €2.5 billion to compensate lost revenue for transport providers.
READ ALSO: ‘Complete success’: Germany sees 52 million €9 tickets sold
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In a radio interview, Wissing said he wanted to "simplify the public transport structures, digitalise them" and offer a "better fare structure" in Germany.
It comes as the three-month offer, which saw public transport available in Germany for just €9 per month, is set to end.
From Thursday, September 1st, regular prices for riding buses, trams, the U-Bahn, S-Bahn and regional trains will return and people won't be able to use a single ticket to travel on local networks across Germany.
READ ALSO: 5 things to know about public transport in Germany after the €9 ticket
Wissing said the success of the €9 ticket means that people have voted for change.
"People took the (€9) ticket to their hearts right from the start and saw the opportunity," he said. "By buying many tickets, people voted that it (public transport) shouldn't stay this way, and that's why I want us to simplify the public transport structures, digitalise them, and we need a better fare structure. There has to be something new."
When asked if Wissing is in favour of any of the ideas put forward for a follow-up ticket - such as the Social Democrats' €49 ticket idea - Wissing was non-committal in his answer.
But he did say that he had convinced his colleague, Finance Minister Christian Lindner, also of the Free Democrats (FDP), that there had to be a new offer. Lindner has consistently refused to entertain the idea of a follow up €9 ticket due to funding concerns, and even slammed the “freebie mentality” surrounding the ticket.
"In recent days, I have had many discussions with the Federal Minister of Finance and have been able to convince him, with good arguments, that we need better public transport fare structures,' said Wissing. "That's why he, too, is behind the concept of doing something better than what we have had in public transport so far."
"What is important, of course, is that in the end there is joint financing between the states and the federal government."
When pushed on what a successor ticket could be, Wissing said authorities needed to work out "what such a ticket should look like, where it can apply, how we can finance it together, what the states can contribute".
"And if we know exactly what the structure of the ticket should be, how it should be distributed, then at the end of the day the question must be: How do we structure the price?" he said.
On Wednesday morning, Lindner posted a photo of the two politicians and said: "Volker Wissing has convinced me: he can implement a nationwide, digital ticket with a fraction of the funding of the 9EuroTicket/s. Now it's the states' turn. When the funding issue is clear, the price can be set."
Volker @Wissing hat mich überzeugt: Er kann mit einem Bruchteil der Finanzmittel des #9EuroTicket|s ein bundesweit nutzbares, digital buchbares Ticket realisieren. Jetzt sind die Länder dran. Wenn die Finanzierungsfrage klar ist, kann der Preis festgelegt werden. CL #WissingWirkt pic.twitter.com/cqenBVOj9P
— Christian Lindner (@c_lindner) August 31, 2022
READ ALSO: The German states pushing for €9 ticket follow-ups
In the radio interview Wissing said the public deserved "improved tickets that offer more, that are valid throughout Germany, that can be purchased more easily, via digital structures".
He added: "After all, things can't just stay the same forever if people expect them to improve, to become more modern."
According to industry figures, around 52 million €9 tickets have been sold. The government financed the campaign with €2.5 billion to compensate lost revenue for transport providers.
READ ALSO: ‘Complete success’: Germany sees 52 million €9 tickets sold
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