Germany's 9-euro public transport ticket used more for leisure, less for replacing car commutes – researchers

A heavily subsidised public transport ticket introduced for three months in Germany in 2022 led to a significant increase in train delays and only marginally reduced traffic on the roads, according to a report by the Munich-based ifo research institute. The 9-euro monthly ticket for local and regional trains reduced car traffic by around 5 percent, while trains were delayed by more than 30 percent because of the high volume of passengers. Around 430,000 people traveled by train daily thanks to the ticket. Train journeys largely increased on regional trains at the weekends as users took trips. At the same time, few opted to switch their car for the train on week-day commutes.

The 9-euro ticket was introduced for 90 days alongside a raft of other measures to ease the pressure of rapidly increasing energy prices exacerbated by Russia's war in Ukraine. It cost the federal government 2.5 billion euro, and it was also meant as an incentive to switch to more climate-friendly modes of transport. Sarah Necker of the ifo research institute called it an "expensive and inefficient climate protection measure." The report combined mobility data from GPS devices, traffic volume data on the average number of vehicles per week at various places in Germany, as well as train traffic data from Deutsche Bahn, according to an ifo statement.

The ifo suggested that the current subsidised Deutschland ticket, which costs 49 euro a month, will probably reduce car traffic even less, benefitting "those who already use public transport regularly and can now do so at a lower price." The Deutschland ticket is generally considered a success with more than 11 million users, and has been hailed as a potential breakthrough in transport policy that could trigger a long-term change to mobility patterns. The government plans to extend the offer into 2025, albeit at a higher price.