With the new 49-euro ticket in local and regional transport, no free bicycle transport is planned. “An additional ticket will still be necessary,” said Oliver Wolff, general manager of the Association of German Transport Companies, of the German Press Agency in Berlin. He also referred to cost reasons. Wolff went on to say that there are still open financing questions for the 49-euro ticket.
The bicycle club ADFC had demanded that bicycles be taken on local trains nationwide free of charge. However, this was not the case with the 9-euro ticket in the summer either. With Deutsche Bahn, a day ticket for local public transport currently costs six euros.
Start date unclear
The federal and state governments had cleared the way for a 49-euro monthly ticket with an agreement on financing issues. This is planned as a digital, nationwide valid Deutschlandticket. When it starts is unclear. The transport companies do not consider a start in January, as intended by Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP), to be feasible. An introduction on March 1st is realistic, Wolff said.
He also cited open financing issues as a reason. So far, the full entrepreneurial risk lies with the transport company. The federal and state governments have agreed that they will pay a fixed amount and that there will be no so-called obligation to make additional payments – this fixed amount is three billion euros per year. “But nobody knows how much fare losses really occur,” says Wolff. “We are now reducing high-priced subscriptions to 49 euros.” At the same time, a subscription runs for a year and then you can cancel it monthly. “But the transport ministers wanted it to be different, with a monthly notice.”
Question about cost recovery
The requirement is to make a paperless, digital ticket, Wolff said. “But there’s a rat’s tail attached to the costs. And it’s almost completely unloaded from us. We’ll talk about it with the federal and state governments at short notice. That has to be solved so that the ticket can come. In addition: If the ticket is on the first of a month comes, then the companies must have the liquidity at least 14 days beforehand.” Significantly lower income means less money is available to pay staff and buy fuel. “There can’t be a bus if there’s no money.”
Wolff also opposed far-reaching structural reforms. He thinks little of putting the ax on the number of collective bargaining associations. “We still have to offer our customers suitable tariffs, even below the Germany ticket. We need the associations for that. You can’t shave everything. That’s why you won’t be able to save a lot of money with a structural reform.”
