The German government decided on a flagship for local traffic in response to soaring consumer prices. It is hoped that the nine-euro ticket will attract motorists to switch to public transport, writes ‘s European correspondent Suvi Turtiainen.
BERLIN
In the German capital In recent weeks, there has been one topic in Berlin above the others: the nine-euro monthly ticket, which will take effect all over Germany in a week.
Price-conscious locals (i.e., just about all Germans) are excited.
The ticket can be purchased for one month at a time throughout the summer and runs on all local and city services.
With a nine-euro ticket, you can travel from the southern German Alps all the way to the Danish border – as long as you use long-distance trains that are much slower.
A ticket purchased for June, regardless of the date of purchase, is only valid in June, and a ticket purchased in July is valid only in July. August is the last month of the campaign.
Part of the price of previously purchased season tickets will be refunded.
The German Bundestag voted last Thursday to fund the ticket. A special summer ticket will cost the federal government 2.5 billion euros. The aid compensates for the loss of ticket revenue for operators in the various regions.
The price of the support package is shocking, but so is the reason behind the ticket campaign. The German government decided to support public transport after Russia launched an attack on Ukraine.
The war has contributed to rising energy prices and strained Germany’s desire to give up fossil energy from Russia
The government decided to compensate for rising energy prices for citizens. The ticket area is part of a wider support package. The fuel tax is also reduced temporarily.
The price of a liter of petrol should fall by 35.2 cents and the price of a liter of diesel by 16.7 cents by the summer.
In addition to private motorists, the aid was targeted at public transport, as the nine-euro flag has another goal: to speed up Germany’s green transition and cut emissions.
According to a poll by ARD, 44 percent of Germans plan to buy a nine-euro ticket. Its popularity is higher in urban areas than in rural areas.
On the flip side of popularity, there is already a fear of huge crowds on full local trains and buses.
The nine-euro ticket is expected to attract even the most committed private motorists to switch to buses, local trains and trams for at least the summer.
In addition to cheap prices, Germans may just love more than just their cars.
The price matters in Germany, and it can also be seen on the shelves of the convenience store.
Cooking oils, wheat flour and toilet paper are out of stock in many places. Many have begun to hoard as food prices continue to rise and some consumers fear the war will make access to cooking oil and wheat flour more difficult.
So far, the shelves are emptied mainly of hoarding, no delivery problems.
Nine euros the flag symbolizes the need for Europe to invent a new way of life. There is no longer a desire to rely on Russian fossils, because importing gas and oil from Russia is gaining weight Vladimir Putin war fund.
Still, the ban on oil imports is still rampant in the EU, and Germany is not ready to ban imports of Russian gas until at least this year.
Emission cuts are also needed to slow down climate change.
The nine-euro ticket is an invitation to consider whether the vending machine in Germany could also be lived differently.
You can discuss the topic until 11pm on Tuesdays.