Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz has expressed confidence in a follow-up offer for the 9-euro tickets for buses and trains. “It was a big deal,” said the SPD politician in the general debate on the budget on Wednesday in the Bundestag. “And that’s why there will be a sequel to a solution that makes this possible: having nationwide subscription-based, digitally bookable tickets that make it possible to use local public transport anywhere in Germany at a reasonable rate.” This is a good decision that has grown out of the crisis, but makes sense for a much longer period of time.

The heads of the traffic light coalition had agreed for the planned next relief package to provide 1.5 billion euros annually for a nationwide local transport ticket – if the states give at least as much. The goal is a price between 49 and 69 euros per month. Consultations with the federal states are now planned. In June, July and August, the 9-euro tickets enabled travel by bus and train nationwide for one month.