Saxony’s Transport Minister Martin Dulig has announced that he wants his state to play a leading role in ensuring that federal states have a discounted Germany ticket. This would be in addition to the existing semester ticket for students. Saxony is committed to seeing this initiative through at the federal level.
The discounted Germany ticket would serve as a “bridging solution” for the time when there is still no nationwide uniform social ticket available to schoolchildren, trainees, students, and seniors. The amendment to the regionalization law that was passed by the Bundestag last week did not include plans for discounted versions of the nationwide public transport ticket.
As an interim solution, Saxony aims to offer a discounted Germany ticket as a “large semester ticket” in the solidarity model, in addition to the existing semester ticket. The federal government would have to agree to this. The solidarity model means that all students pay a fixed amount each semester, regardless of whether and how they use the semester ticket.
Dulig wants to keep the solidarity model, and the discount of 10 percent on the Germany ticket should contribute towards this. At the same time, nationwide public transport is expected to become more attractive. “If there is no improved offer for the students in a timely manner, the public transport in Germany will lose the solidarity models and thus a large proportion of the students as subscribers,” he explained.
With an additional discount, public transport can attract more students at university locations who do not yet have a semester ticket. According to the Saxon Ministry of Transport, most universities in Germany offer an inexpensive semester ticket. Around 90 percent of students in Saxony have a public transport subscription based on the solidarity model.
The votes on the semester ticket for the 2023/2024 winter semester are now pending. It is doubtful whether the necessary majorities for the semester ticket can be found with the current conditions. Talks between the federal states and the federal government are to take place this week.
However, the goal remains to develop a nationwide solidarity model for students based on the Germany ticket, as was also decided by the federal and state governments in the definitions of the tariff regulations. The Deutschlandticket is set to be introduced on May 1st. It will cost €49 initially and apply nationwide in local public transport and regional transport.
