As soon as rumors about the abolition of the climate ticket started circulating, there was opposition from the population. Although the complete ending is now off the table, Helmut is not letting go of Strobl. He is leading a petition against making the climate ticket more expensive. Krone+ spoke to the initiator of the signature list, which already includes more than 85,000 people.
Thursday 12:00: My phone vibrates. A neighbor uses WhatsApp to draw my attention to a petition against the abolition of the climate ticket. As a commuter, it bothers me, so I open the link and sign it. I am one of the 85,000 Austrians who joined Helmut Strobl’s petition. “It is almost obsolete now,” says Strobl, who has had to tone down his own initiative. After all, the government has already spoken out against the complete abolition of the ticket, which was introduced in 2021. Only the fee exemption for young people under the age of 18 should be abolished.
Commuters would suffer
“But it is also about the inflation that is coming,” says Strobl, who emphasizes: “For them, socially disadvantaged citizens will be hit again.” “For many commuters it is very important. Abolishing it or raising the price would be exactly the wrong approach.”
Strobl himself, together with his wife, sees the benefits of the climate ticket. “She travels a lot for work and does everything in public. I also take public transport to Vienna. It’s a completely different kind of travel.” Strobl now also sees the enthusiasm about the cost savings that the Greens have achieved thanks to the petition. “I didn’t expect so many people to sign, I was completely surprised. I assumed a few hundred. Many people also wrote me personal messages. For example, a blind couple who, thanks to the climate ticket, do not have to constantly buy tickets. It’s a huge relief for them.”
Click here for the petition!
On Wednesday morning there were still 500 signatures, by the evening there were already 60,000. The 80,000 mark was reached on Thursday afternoon. “There is no specific goal. Once the petition is over, pass your vote on to the government. The organizers of the platform will help you with this,” says Strobl. No matter how many signatures there are: it is a strong signal to the FPÖ and ÖVP.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
