Short-distance train travel in Germany has significantly increased since June, data from Germany’s federal statistical office Destatis has shown. Compared to the first quarter of the year (January to March), it went up 46%.
Authorities in Germany decided to cut the price of public transport to encourage people to use it more often and save energy. During the months of June, July and August, a travel pass worth 9 euros per month could be used on buses, subways, streetcars, suburban trains and regional trains throughout Germany, regardless of the city in which it was purchased.
The important result is that many have integrated public transport into their everyday lives.
Klaus Bogenberger, Researcher at the Technical University of Munich
The plan to make public transport cheaper, an initiative of the Federal Government, had been in the pipeline for a while, but had met with resistance from several public transport companies and some federal states. Bavaria even threatened a blockade. Finally, the Bundestag and Bundesrat – the lower and upper houses of Parliament – approved it and the Germans are celebrating the decision. The savings are significant. For example, a single ticket in Berlin costs three euros and a monthly pass costs 86 euros.
Around 21 million €9 passes were sold in June alone, According to the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV), roughly 21 million €9 passes were sold in June, in addition to the 10 million subscribers who automatically received the discounted ticket.
Euronews reports that weekly surveys of 6,000 public transport users conducted by the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV) and Deutsche Bahn revealed that one in five people have been encouraged to switch to public transport for the first time. A study by the Technical University of Munich showed, however, that while 35% of the 1,000 study participants took the bus and train more often, barely 3% used their own vehicle less often.
According to Klaus Bogenberger, researcher at the Technical University of Munich, the percentage could increase later on. He noted that a radical change in people’s routines due to the new pass was not expected, and that the percentage of people trying alternative modes of transport, as small as it may seem, is relevant.
The €9 pass has cost the German government about €2.5bn, according to Euronews. The campaign won’t be extended for the time being but other alternatives are being considered. One option would be a pre-paid card where passengers pay for a monthly budget which would let them travel a certain number of kilometers, as well as a yearly ticket worth €365.
