More than 21 million citizens bought the ticket introduced in June to compensate for the increase in fuel
The 9 euro monthly pass for all public transport in Germany, which gives you unlimited travel across the country on all commuter trains and municipal transport companies, whether metro, city rail, bus or tram has been an overwhelming success. More than 21 million citizens in this country bought the ticket, introduced by the federal government in June to relieve consumers of soaring fuel prices. “If the nearly 10 million subscribers who automatically received the ticket are added, not only is the goal of selling 30 million monthly tickets, but also slightly exceeded,” said the chairman of the German Federation of Transport Companies (VDV). ). ), Ingo Wortmann, who emphasized that these figures are limited to the month of June. The “gift” of the German executive will also work during the months of July and August.
An analysis by traffic data specialist TomTom also underlines that the initiative has had a clear impact on vehicle traffic in urban centres. In 23 of the 26 cities surveyed, congestion has decreased significantly compared to the time before the introduction of the single journey. The data suggests that “this setback is directly related to the introduction of the single 9 euro bill,” the experts note in their analysis. “Those who need their vehicle to travel from home to work and vice versa lost less time in June than in May in almost all cities surveyed,” the report highlights. After noting that almost no effects on car traffic were noticed in the first days after the introduction of the ticket, they underline that “in the meantime, positive effects on car flow can be seen in almost all the cities studied.” Hamburg and Wiesbaden are the cities where the effects were greatest.
A survey by the VDV shows that the citizens of Germany will bet the same amount on the single 9 euro note in July and August, although they acknowledged that it is difficult to monitor the extent to which it is used on a daily basis. Deutsche Bahn, the German railway company that has sold a large proportion of those tickets, said it saw passenger numbers on its regional trains rise to 15% in June compared to pre-crisis levels. With the single ticket for 9 euros, you can cross Germany from one end to the other by switching to the municipal and regional public transport. For a trip from Munich to the Baltic coast, which can take 7 hours on the fast train, the commute will of course take at least twice as long. The ticket even allows travel to other countries if cross-border suburban lines are used, such as those with the Austrian cities of Salzburg and Kufstein, the Swiss city of Basel or the Polish city of Swinoujscie.
The package of measures introduced by the cabinet of the Chancellor, the Social Democrat Olaf Scholz, to compensate consumers in this country for the sharp rise in fuel prices, is also intended to relieve the use of public transport, traffic and contribute to reducing of polluting emissions to prevent climate change. The initiative will cost the state treasury 2,500 million euros, which the federal executive has pledged to undertake in its entirety. However, the success of the experiment of the one-way ticket for 9 euros is putting pressure on German politicians. There are no plans yet for when the offer ends on August 31. The Greens, who are part of the ruling tripartite in Berlin, want to somehow continue the project. The Confederation of German Consumer Associations proposes to introduce one monthly subscription for the whole of Germany for 29 euros and experts such as traffic and transport researchers from the Technical University of Dresden advise not to exceed 50 euros.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
