German NGOs call for low-income option for flat-rate public transport ticket as ministers agree price increase

Germany's nationwide flat-rate public transport ticket, the Germany-ticket, is at risk of losing subscribers now that the federal government and state transport ministers have agreed on a price increase, consumer and environmental groups said. The Germany ticket, which allows users to use local buses and trains across the country, will cost 58 euros per month from next year, up from the current 49 euros.

"Money for mobility is available, but it is spent in a highly unjust manner," said Lena Donat, mobility expert at environmental NGO Greenpeace. She added that there is a "massive social imbalance in the transport budget," with the government subsidising company cars — for many of those in higher income brackets — much more than the Germany ticket. Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND) echoed the call, saying that if the price was increased, the government should introduce a "social ticket" for a maximum of 29 euros for people on a low income, apprentices and students.

"We cannot risk losing too many customers over to excessive price increases," Baden-Württemberg's transport minister Winfried Hermann told SWR, adding that the ticket should remain affordable for as many people as possible. Around 11 million users currently subscribe to the ticket. "Only time will tell how much of an impact the price increase of the Germany ticket will have on its popularity," German Consumer Association (vzbv) head Ramona Pop said.

The Deutschlandticket, introduced in spring 2023, has been hailed as a potential breakthrough in transport policy that could trigger a long-term change to mobility patterns. However, the federal government and states have long debated how to fund the ticket, casting doubt on the offer’s long-term viability. According to a vzbv survey, the vast majority of people in Germany consider the ticket to be a fundamentally good thing and say it should continue to exist in the future.