image
1

The city also offers a 9-euro ticket for lower income groups, Source: Markus Spiske / Unsplash

Berlin extends 29-euro ticket until federal equivalent starts in April

Berlin extends 29-euro ticket until federal equivalent starts in April

Local authorities want to fill the mobility gap left by the Bundestag's delayed decision on a successor to the 9-euro ticket

Yesterday, Berlin’s Mayor Franziska Giffey announced that the city’s public transport subsidised monthly pass, known as the 29-euro ticket, will be available until March of 2023 - a three-month extension to the previous plan. According to official statements, local authorities decided on the extension because the German Federal Government has yet to introduce a successor to the 9-euro ticket.

The 9-euro ticket in Germany

The 9-euro ticket was initially introduced in all of Germany as a monthly pass giving access to all public transport around the country. This included trains, but also local buses and U-Bahns. The measure was aimed as a double fix for high oil and gas prices in the tourist months, as well as a way to convince more people to switch to more sustainable mobility.

The policy was hugely successful and popular, granting many Germans the freedom to move unobstructed by the country’s federal patchwork of public transport offers. However, it ran from June until the end of August and the Bundestag has yet to find a solution with broad enough appeal to launch a successor policy.

Nevertheless, several municipalities have opted to launch their own version of the 9-euro ticket, such as Bonn, where local authorities introduced a 19-euro ticket. Berlin also has its version, with the 29-euro ticket, which was initially planned to end in December, as local authorities expected a federal version by then. However, the Bundestag has said that such a policy is expected to start in April 2023.

Additionally, the Federal discounted ticket will be priced at 49 euros, quite a bit higher than some of the offers by local authorities. As the DPA reports, Berlin’s Mobility Senator Bettina Jarasch has proposed that in Berlin the price could be lower, subsidised through local funding.

Social ticket in Berlin

Local authorities in the German capital have also announced a social ticket for vulnerable groups. It will cost just 9 euros per month until at least the end of March 2023. According to officials, around 650,000 people will be able to benefit from the offer.

Newsletter

Back

Growing City

All

Smart City

All

Green City

All

Social City

All

New European Bauhaus

All

Interviews

All

ECP 2021 Winner TheMayorEU

Latest