The German parliament gave the final go-ahead on Friday for a plan that will allow citizens to use local public transport across the country for just € 9 a month this summer. The government is also planning a three-month cut in fuel taxes.
The Upper House of Parliament, which represents the country’s 16 state governments, has approved the 9-euro ticket plan – part of a broader package of measures designed to cushion the blow from high energy prices for consumers following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
The ticket includes buses, trams, undergrounds, S-Bahn trains, as well as local public transport ferries and regional trains (second class), not long-distance transport. It will be available in June, July and August. Federal and state governments debated funding and until Friday it was unclear whether states would accept a € 2.5 billion subsidy from Berlin, which some said was inadequate.
The government hopes that, in addition to reducing costs for frequent travelers, tickets will attract more people to less polluting public transport than private cars. But the railway workers’ union has expressed fears that the trains are overcrowded, causing delays and frustration. “Many people who were previously not interested in public transport want to give them a chance in the next three months,” said the Minister of Transport. Volker Wissing in the Upper House. The minister acknowledged that the plan could lead to full trains and buses in some areas in some days, and that this will require “patience and in some cases strong nerves”.
The fuel tax cut will apply for the same three-month period, reducing taxes on a liter of gasoline by nearly 30 euro cents and more than 14 cents on a liter of diesel by more than 14 euro cents. Economists have warned that fuel subsidies could reduce the likelihood of people switching to cleaner forms of transportation.