Will there be a carriage regulation in Thuringia that is subject to a surcharge?
The Germany ticket is initially valid for exactly one person – without a dog, accompanying person or bicycle. However, the first transport companies such as the Verkehrsverbund Oberelbe (VVO) in Saxony are offering their subscription customers an “upgrade” to the Germany ticket: For an extra 10 euros, subscribers can continue to take a dog or a bicycle without time restrictions, as well as another adult and up to four schoolchildren take it with you for free on your 15th birthday.
Such an additional offer has not yet been planned in Thuringia. The MDV, to which Altenburger Land also belongs, has announced such an offer – but only for the city of Leipzig.
A ticket must therefore be purchased for children over the age of six or you can order your own 49-euro ticket. The only thing that makes Thuringia special is that it stays in the Free State no additional ticket for bicycles on regional trains must be resolved. “The Germany ticket will not cancel that out,” says Christoph Heuing from the VMT.
Is there also an offer for students?
Yes, there should also be an offer for students. The chairman of the state transport ministers, Oliver Krischer (Greens) from North Rhine-Westphalia, said that an “upgrade solution” should first be offered for the introduction of the ticket on May 1st. This means that students only have to pay the difference up to the price of 49 euros for the Germany ticket, based on the amount of their semester ticket.
Christoph Heuing from Verkehrsverbund Mittelthüringen says, an upgrade model for the Deutschlandticket the semester ticket is currently being developed in Thuringia with the companies that offer semester tickets.
According to a circular from the transport company, the nationwide solidarity model for students cannot be created before the start of the Deutschlandticket, especially since there are ongoing semester ticket agreements.
However, Krischer explained that a work process had been agreed for the permanent and nationwide uniform inclusion of tickets for students in the 49-euro ticket. There are still legal issues to be resolved. He emphasized that students are “a very important customer group” that should also be retained. In general, the ticket should make public transport cheap and easy and encourage a lot of people to use it.
What about the Thuringian trainee ticket?
About half of Thuringia’s trainees have a trainee ticket that allows them free travel in Thuringia for 60 euros a month – except in the Greiz district, which finds that the state does not sufficiently compensate for the bus companies’ reduced income. Because of the 49 euro ticket Thuringia is withdrawing from funding for the trainee ticket. Like other subscription customers, the trainees are written to and asked whether they want to switch to the 49-euro ticket or exercise a special right of termination.
The third option, which is valid only in Thuringia without the district of Greiz for 196.97 euros per month, should probably not be chosen by anyone. The only important thing is that the trainee ticket subscription customers must also make an active decision – those who do not respond to the letter pay 200 euros from May.