Accessible communal transportation. - One year Deutschlandticket: Five crucial aspects summarized
For a year now, the Deutschlandticket has been on the market. This ticket allows subscribers to travel all over the country on local and regional buses and trains for 49 euros per month. According to estimates, around 11.2 million people are currently using this service. Has it revolutionized the public transportation system as hoped for? Here are five facts on the topic.
- Half of the tickets are used for commuting to work or school.
The most common reason for purchasing the Deutschlandticket is to travel for work or school. A study by Deutsche Bahn revealed that half of the ticket holders use it for this purpose. In many cases, employers provide the ticket to their employees as a job ticket. If a company provides employees with a 25% discount on the annual ticket, the federal government adds another 5% discount. This means that employees can purchase the ticket for as little as 34.30 euros per month instead of the standard 49 euros. Several companies offer even greater discounts or even give the ticket away as a gift. Around 17% of Deutschlandtickets are these job ticket variations.
- Most ticket holders keep the subscription.
The Deutschlandticket can be canceled at any time at the end of the month. However, according to a study by the German Transport Association (VDV), only 7% of ticket owners cancel their subscription at the end of the month. On the other hand, more than half of those surveyed (56%) have kept their subscription without interruption since its introduction. Nearly one in three have held onto it for at least eight months.
- The ticket reveals the lack of capacity in local public transportation.
As a result of the increased demand due to the Deutschlandticket, local buses and trains have become more crowded. Trains were particularly overloaded last summer, especially on popular routes from Berlin to the Baltic Sea, from Munich to the mountains, and from Hamburg to the North Sea.
Deutsche Bahn plans to increase the number of seats available on regional services in consultation with local authorities this year. Still, capacity utilization in local public transportation is significantly lower than in long-distance transportation, as Evelyn Palla, Head of Passenger Transport at Deutsche Bahn, recently stated. However, the expansion of services is costly and has not yet been able to keep up with the increased demand.
"The greatest shortcoming so far is the inadequate bus and rail service in rural areas," said Dirk Flege, Managing Director of the pro-rail alliance, recently. To remedy this, Deutsche Bahn needs to expand services, increase job ticket offers, and simplify the ticket price regulations, such as those for bicycle and child transportation.
- Fewer people are switching from cars to buses and trains than expected.
According to a survey conducted by the VDV, around 16% of Deutschlandticket users have been using their cars less frequently since they purchased the ticket. While the ticket has not yet experienced the desired shift in modalities, around 16% switch from cars to buses or trains. Thus, a more significant change is necessary to achieve the desired climate goals.
- The ticket might not cost 49 euros forever.
The funding for the Deutschlandticket comes from the federal and state governments, each contributing 1.5 billion euros per year. The funding is secured through 2024, but there is no guarantee from the federal government for the years after that. Therefore, ticket prices may increase for users as early as 2025. But Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) always maintains that the ticket is designed to be permanent. Currently, there is only a price guarantee from the federal and state governments for 2022.
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Source: www.stern.de
