Berlin pushes for €29 regional public transport ticket
Germany plans to introduce a nationwide follow-up to the €9 transport offer in future. But the city-state of Berlin wants to see a system that allows for cheaper regional tickets, too.
Berlin mayor Franziska Giffey, of the Social Democrats, is pushing for a "two-tier ticket system" in Germany as a follow-up to the €9 per month summer ticket offer.
"For a good follow-up solution to the €9 ticket, there should be a two-tier ticket system," said the SPD politician in a tweet.
"€29 for a regional offer in the respective federal state, and €49 for a nationwide ticket. Our goal remains: bus and train in Berlin for around €1 per day."
Giffey went on to say that the capital's government was "working on a good bridging solution in Berlin from October to December 2022 until the nationwide ticket arrives".
Für eine gute Anschlusslösung zum #9EuroTicket sollte es ein zweistufiges Ticketsystem geben:
29 Euro für ein regionales Angebot im jeweiligen Bundesland und 49 Euro für ein bundesweites Ticket.
Unser Ziel bleibt: Bus und Bahn in Berlin für rund einen Euro pro Tag.
(1/2)
— Franziska Giffey (@FranziskaGiffey) September 6, 2022
The €9 per month ticket, which was in place from June to the end of August, allowed people in Germany to travel on all public transport networks at a heavily reduced price.
As The Local has been reporting, there are plans to bring in a follow-up ticket from the start of 2023 as part of a new €65 billion package aimed at supporting people with rising energy costs. It is likely to cost somewhere between €49 and €69 per month.
READ ALSO: What we know so far about Germany's €9 ticket follow-up
Berlin's transport senator Bettina Jarasch also urged for a two-tier approach to the €9 ticket successor.
She pointed out that, if the price point is at the higher end of the scale, people who have a so-called 'Abo' - subscription - in the Berlin area won't see the benefit.
"A €69 ticket would bring little (benefit) for Berlin because many subscriptions are already cheaper here," said the Green politician.
"I think a tiered system is good, as the Greens had already suggested in the federal government: i.e., a regional ticket for €29 in the VBB (Berlin and Brandenburg) area - and additionally a nationwide €69 ticket."
At the end of August, the SPD in Berlin, along with coalition partners the Greens and the Left party decided that they wanted to introduce a regional public transport offer to provide some relief to residents in the energy crisis.
READ ALSO: Berlin considers extending €9 offer
But not everyone is on board with the idea.
Felix Reifschneider, transport policy spokesman for the FDP parliamentary group in Berlin's House of Representatives, said a two-tier system was "nonsensical."
Relief should be provided for residents who are "particularly affected by inflation", he said. He spoke out in favour of reducing the price of the current social ticket - for people on benefits - which currently costs €27.50.
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Berlin mayor Franziska Giffey, of the Social Democrats, is pushing for a "two-tier ticket system" in Germany as a follow-up to the €9 per month summer ticket offer.
"For a good follow-up solution to the €9 ticket, there should be a two-tier ticket system," said the SPD politician in a tweet.
"€29 for a regional offer in the respective federal state, and €49 for a nationwide ticket. Our goal remains: bus and train in Berlin for around €1 per day."
Giffey went on to say that the capital's government was "working on a good bridging solution in Berlin from October to December 2022 until the nationwide ticket arrives".
Für eine gute Anschlusslösung zum #9EuroTicket sollte es ein zweistufiges Ticketsystem geben:
— Franziska Giffey (@FranziskaGiffey) September 6, 2022
29 Euro für ein regionales Angebot im jeweiligen Bundesland und 49 Euro für ein bundesweites Ticket.
Unser Ziel bleibt: Bus und Bahn in Berlin für rund einen Euro pro Tag.
(1/2)
The €9 per month ticket, which was in place from June to the end of August, allowed people in Germany to travel on all public transport networks at a heavily reduced price.
As The Local has been reporting, there are plans to bring in a follow-up ticket from the start of 2023 as part of a new €65 billion package aimed at supporting people with rising energy costs. It is likely to cost somewhere between €49 and €69 per month.
READ ALSO: What we know so far about Germany's €9 ticket follow-up
Berlin's transport senator Bettina Jarasch also urged for a two-tier approach to the €9 ticket successor.
She pointed out that, if the price point is at the higher end of the scale, people who have a so-called 'Abo' - subscription - in the Berlin area won't see the benefit.
"A €69 ticket would bring little (benefit) for Berlin because many subscriptions are already cheaper here," said the Green politician.
"I think a tiered system is good, as the Greens had already suggested in the federal government: i.e., a regional ticket for €29 in the VBB (Berlin and Brandenburg) area - and additionally a nationwide €69 ticket."
At the end of August, the SPD in Berlin, along with coalition partners the Greens and the Left party decided that they wanted to introduce a regional public transport offer to provide some relief to residents in the energy crisis.
READ ALSO: Berlin considers extending €9 offer
But not everyone is on board with the idea.
Felix Reifschneider, transport policy spokesman for the FDP parliamentary group in Berlin's House of Representatives, said a two-tier system was "nonsensical."
Relief should be provided for residents who are "particularly affected by inflation", he said. He spoke out in favour of reducing the price of the current social ticket - for people on benefits - which currently costs €27.50.
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