Germany announces start of 9-euro ticket successor campaign
The new ‘Deutschlandticket’, a flat-fee public transport card for regional trains and other forms of public transport, will be valid from May 1 onwards. Federal and local authorities have ironed out the final details of the ticket, which is the successor of the much-lauded 9-euro ticket.
The news was announced by the transport minister of the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Oliver Krischer, following agreement in the working group. That platform had been established for the purpose of facilitating an agreement between the federal and local authorities on the outstanding issues. “A final understanding has been reached”, Krischer was quoted as saying over the weekend.
All that remains is approval of the European Commission for the scheme, which introduces a fee of 49 euros per month for public transport, excluding long-distance ICE trains. The first Deutschlandtickets will go on sale on April 3. There will be special corporate deals for businesses that intend to purchase the tickets for their employees. Companies can get a 5-per cent discount on the condition that they themselves offer 25-per cent off the price when making the passes available to their staff.
For months, the main bone of contention was the financing of the 3-billion-euro initiative, which would be split evenly between the federal and state governments. Should the plan come out as costing more, the federal states wanted reassurances from Berlin that there will be prompt discussions about financing.
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