Berlin gets green light to launch €29 transport ticket
The German capital's plans for a successor to the €9 ticket got the green light on Thursday, as neighbouring state Brandenburg lifted its opposition.
After a political struggle, the Berlin-Brandenburg Transport Association (VBB) has agreed to a temporary €29 ticket for the AB fare zone in Berlin. The neighbouring state of Brandenburg, however, will not participate in the ticket.
The plans from the Berlin coalition of Social Democrats (SPD) the Greens and the Left for the €29 ticket had previously been blocked by the district administrator of the Märkisch-Oderland district, Gernot Schmidt. But he announced that he was lifting his veto in an emergency meeting of the VBB supervisory board this Thursday.
READ ALSO: Berlin pushes for €29 regional public transport ticket
A formal decision still has to follow, but the VBB transport authority said the written procedure will be "initiated immediately" and that they will work "at full speed" to get the ticket up and running.
When will the ticket go on sale?
The €29 ticket will be valid for three months - from October until the end of December this year - in Berlin's AB fare zone. It is intended to bridge the gap until a nationwide successor to the €9 ticket comes into force.
It is hoped the nationwide ticket will be in place from next year, although no details have been firmed up.
The €9 monthly ticket was brought in for the months of June, July and August to help people in Germany with rising energy costs.
READ ALSO: What we know so far about the successor to Germany's €9 ticket
Under the plan, holders of a Berlin AB season ticket - known as Abo - will benefit from the discount. Anyone who takes out a new AB subscription will also receive the discount for the three months - and will get a "special right of termination" on December 31st.
However, subscribers to the ABC ticket and the BC ticket will not benefit, as fare zone C is in Brandenburg. According to Rundfunk Berlin Brandenburg, around 850,000 people currently have an AB subscription, including schoolchildren, who get the ticket free of charge. Around 70,000 people have an ABC or a BC season ticket.
READ ALSO: Why some transport users in Germany still haven't benefited from the €9 ticket
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After a political struggle, the Berlin-Brandenburg Transport Association (VBB) has agreed to a temporary €29 ticket for the AB fare zone in Berlin. The neighbouring state of Brandenburg, however, will not participate in the ticket.
The plans from the Berlin coalition of Social Democrats (SPD) the Greens and the Left for the €29 ticket had previously been blocked by the district administrator of the Märkisch-Oderland district, Gernot Schmidt. But he announced that he was lifting his veto in an emergency meeting of the VBB supervisory board this Thursday.
READ ALSO: Berlin pushes for €29 regional public transport ticket
A formal decision still has to follow, but the VBB transport authority said the written procedure will be "initiated immediately" and that they will work "at full speed" to get the ticket up and running.
When will the ticket go on sale?
The €29 ticket will be valid for three months - from October until the end of December this year - in Berlin's AB fare zone. It is intended to bridge the gap until a nationwide successor to the €9 ticket comes into force.
It is hoped the nationwide ticket will be in place from next year, although no details have been firmed up.
The €9 monthly ticket was brought in for the months of June, July and August to help people in Germany with rising energy costs.
READ ALSO: What we know so far about the successor to Germany's €9 ticket
Under the plan, holders of a Berlin AB season ticket - known as Abo - will benefit from the discount. Anyone who takes out a new AB subscription will also receive the discount for the three months - and will get a "special right of termination" on December 31st.
However, subscribers to the ABC ticket and the BC ticket will not benefit, as fare zone C is in Brandenburg. According to Rundfunk Berlin Brandenburg, around 850,000 people currently have an AB subscription, including schoolchildren, who get the ticket free of charge. Around 70,000 people have an ABC or a BC season ticket.
READ ALSO: Why some transport users in Germany still haven't benefited from the €9 ticket
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