The 49-euro ticket started with problems: Many would not have received their chip card in time. Volker Wissing is annoyed about the “outdated structures” in Germany.
Transport Minister Volker Wissing believes that the difficulties some passengers have complained about when ordering and sending the new Deutschlandticket show deficits in digitization. “These are problems that are related to the fact that we do not have sufficient digitization in sales,” said the FDP politician on Monday at the start of the new subscription ticket. At the same time, he emphasized that these difficulties were by no means universal.
It is important to him “that we don’t just continue to write these outdated structures into the future and talk ourselves into niceties, along the lines of ‘Yes, the paper ticket has proven itself so well, that’s wonderful,'” said Wissing. “We’re just seeing the problems it’s causing.”
Opportunities for app providers
In Germany, there has been a 49-euro ticket for local public transport that is valid nationwide since Monday. It is sold by the vast majority of regional transport companies and by Deutsche Bahn. Various companies also offer apps that can be used to subscribe. The subscription can be presented by chip card or mobile phone ticket during checks. With a transition period until the end of the year, paper tickets with a QR code will still be issued.
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“We had a bit of a problem with the chip card manufacturers. But that has now been remedied, and all chip cards are now also being sent,” said Rolf Erfurt, CEO of Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe. Anyone who has not yet received a chip card from the BVG can use the order confirmation or an old environmental card and a photo ID until mid-July. According to him, the Berlin transport company has sold around 500,000 Germany tickets. Around 70,000 people have entered the BVG subscription as a result of the new offer.