It's a success that has taken political and economic circles by surprise. In June alone, Germany sold 21 million 9 transport tickets. These have been added to the 10 million tickets sold each month by season ticket on local and regional lines.
Fears of overcrowded trains or public transport - with the exception of certain weekend tourist routes - have been largely swept away. According to the first analyses of passenger numbers, train journeys of less than 100 km have increased for the first time in the country. They are 58% higher than before the pandemic.
The traffic congestion analysis website Tomtom also noted a fall in the number of vehicles in 23 out of 26 German cities. The site states that " this drop in congestion is certainly linked to the launch of the €9 ticket" .
Find a replacement for September
As a result, the German authorities are considering extending this offer This exceptional scheme will run until 31 August. It was announced in May by the Scholz government to reduce the cost of living for Germans and also to help reduce the country's energy consumption. But the €9 ticket - open to all, including foreign visitors - is largely unprofitable. It costs 2.5 billion euros to federal government coffers. It is therefore unlikely to continue at this price.
The German government is now considering two other options. Both of which could be adopted: a "Climate" ticket, with an annual price of 365 euros. That's one euro a day for the use of all public transport. Or a monthly ticket at 29 euros. Again, with the same benefits as the current €9 offer. A decision is expected in August.
Emulation elsewhere in Europe
German example prompts other European countries to introduce incentives to encourage travellers to use public transport rather than the car. Visit Spainthe government will propose the free passenger transport on regional and local lines for all passengers using multi-trip cards. This measure is aimed primarily at commuters. It will apply from September to the end of 2022..
Ireland has also lowered the price of its regional tickets from 20% to 30%. with its TFI Leap Card prepaid travel card system. It should also be remembered that the Luxembourg has returned all its free transport for several years now.
Will the French government follow in the footsteps of its European counterparts with a similar measure? In particular following President Macron's speech on 14 July calling for "energy sobriety". ? To be continued.
