Road congestion: Vehicular movement experiences issues, causing delays. - Projected increase in D-ticket cost
Saxony-Anhalt's Infrastructure Minister Lydia Hüskens predicts that the cost of the Deutschlandticket won't remain at €49 per month forever. "The price rise won't end with the Deutschlandticket," she told Germany's press service. "I anticipate a price hike next year," added the FDP politician. Hüskens suggests that the Deutschlandticket's price shouldn't be politically set in future; instead, it should be linked to general inflation rates.
Since May 1st, 2023, the Deutschlandticket has given bus and train commuters in Germany unlimited access to national and regional transport. Users can cancel the monthly ticket whenever they like. With over 200,000 riders in Saxony-Anhalt alone, the ministry confirmed.
Martin Kröber, a Bundestag member representing Magdeburg, shares Hüskens' suspicions. "States have provided €1.5 billion, as has the federal government. We have to budget for a rising cost," he said. "If we don't find another solution between now and the end of the year to increase funding, we'll find ourselves with a price hike next year," warned the SPD politician, a transport committee member. "The ticket price must remain stable," he stressed.
The Greens feel similarly. "For us, the Deutschlandticket should not become more expensive," stated their leader, Madeleine Linke, on a digital platform. "€49 is already too much for trainees or volunteers. This issue may surface at the regional party meeting this weekend, with a motion proposing the ticket be funded without automatic price changes."
Over 13,500 subscribers have signed up for the Deutschlandticket in Magdeburg's public transportation system. "The ticket plays a vital role in enhancing mobility," declared Birgit Münster-Rendel, Magdeburg's public transportation manager. "The federal government must also commit to long-term co-funding."
Currently, the German government's funding timeline only stretches until 2025, while the Deutschlandticket's user price is only guaranteed for this year. Transport committee member Kröber is therefore unimpressed by the first year's results. "Numerous matters are still undecided," he noted. "The funding plan for the future is still unclear."
Kröber advocates for improved local transport in countryside areas. "If I don't achieve a consistent transport service over a substantial timeframe, people won't consider using the bus or train - particularly rural areas," he argued. "In Prignitz, for instance, the service was substantially increased, and after six months, various people complained, saying nobody would use the bus - since then, passenger numbers have steadily risen. It took two years for people to realize that the bus really does run every half-hour."
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Source: www.stern.de
