The Bundestag has announced that it will be launching the nationwide Deutschlandticket on May 1, 2023. This decision was made with the support of the SPD, Greens, and FDP parties while the CDU/CSU and AfD parliamentary groups voted against it. The left abstained from voting.
The introduction of this ticket requires a change to the regionalization law, which has now been passed by Parliament. It now needs approval from the Federal Council, who plan to meet at the end of March.
The CDU/CSU parliamentary group’s proposal to secure funding for the Deutschlandticket beyond 2023 was rejected, as was the AfD amendment, which suggested introducing the ticket on January 1, 2024, and making it a three-month ticket for €147. Similarly, applications from the left, calling for a €9 ticket and a “zero-euro ticket” for students, pupils, and trainees, were also rejected.
The Deutschlandticket or 49-euro ticket will function as a monthly cancellable subscription, offering digital local transport throughout Germany. From 2023 to 2025, the federal government will contribute €1.5 billion annually, and this money will be distributed as additional regionalization funds to the federal states. The federal government will also bear 50 percent of any additional costs incurred this year.
In order to secure financing for the 49-euro ticket beyond 2025, a new legislative process will be initiated in 2025. This will follow an evaluation of the traffic and financial impacts of the ticket.
Transport Minister Volker Wissing has admitted that the law for the ticket was introduced very quickly. Michael Donth from the CDU/CSU criticized the law and said that it would mainly benefit people in urban areas, while rural areas would be at a disadvantage. There is also concern that the public transport expansion has not been planned.
Detlef Müller from the SPD defended the ticket and suggested that sometimes a gentle push is necessary to further develop solutions. Wolfgang Wiehle from AfD raised the fact that the Court of Auditors had recently confirmed that the railway required restructuring. The long-distance bus industry’s treatment also remains uncertain.
Bernd Riexinger from Die Linke raised concerns about funding for operating costs and the need for an additional €15 billion annually to double transport services in local rail passenger transport. Stefan Gelbhaar from the Greens, however, praised the 49-euro ticket as a traffic-historic project that will make public transport cheaper for 10 million subscribers.
