Many users would not agree to a price increase for the Germany ticket for local transport. This is the result of a survey by the Yougov Institute on behalf of the German Press Agency. Accordingly, for more than a third of Deutschlandticket holders and interested parties (37 percent), the current price of 49 euros per month is the limit. They would cancel the subscription for local public transport (ÖPNV) or not consider it any further if it one day became more expensive.
23 percent would still go along with an increase of ten to 59 euros, but then also drop out. After all, almost one in three subscribers or interested parties would keep or buy an even more expensive ticket. Six percent of the owners and prospective buyers surveyed would even be willing to pay up to 89 euros per month.
The Deutschlandticket has been around for six months. Subscribers can use local and regional buses and trains nationwide without having to worry about different tariffs or associations. The subscription has cost 49 euros per month since its introduction.
Who bears the additional costs?
The federal and state governments are arguing about the financing of next year’s offer. The core of the discussion is the question of who will bear possible additional costs that transport companies incur due to the lower income from the discounted public transport offer. It cannot be ruled out that the ticket will be more expensive. This Monday, the heads of government of the federal states are fighting for a solution with Chancellor Olaf Scholz at a Prime Minister’s Conference.
The offer, which has been valid since May, is only available as a subscription. It is automatically renewed every month as long as it is not canceled. This is possible on a monthly basis. Nevertheless, according to the dpa survey, almost half of consumers – holders and non-holders – would like a model like the so-called 9 euro ticket. The predecessor of the Germany subscription was available between June and August 2022. The 9 euro ticket was valid per month and had to be purchased again for each individual month.
For the survey, 2,120 people aged 18 and over in Germany were interviewed from October 27th to 30th. The results have been weighted and are representative of the population aged 18 and over.
The question about the still acceptable price was answered by those 936 respondents who own a Germany ticket or could imagine buying one. The specific question was: “At what price would the Germany ticket no longer be of interest to you or would you cancel it?”
