Starting this week, Germany is offering a €49 ($53.44) monthly travel ticket that provides access to local and regional public transit networks across Germany.
The "Deutschland Ticket," which was introduced to reduce costs and
incentivize people to take public transportation instead of driving
cars, will go into effect on May 1.
- The ticket doesn't cover long-distance bus travel or high-speed rail.
- Last summer, Germany experimented with a €9 ($9.85) monthly card that covered all local and regional buses and trains.
- Over
52 million tickets were sold during the three-month trial, and an
additional 10 million people automatically received the discount through
ongoing public transit subscriptions.
- Transport
Minister Volker Wissing said the new ticket would free Germans from the
"tariff jungle" of needing separate tickets for different transportation
networks.
- Several countries and cities in Europe have introduced free or low-cost public transit options in recent years to increase passenger numbers and lower emissions.
- Luxembourg introduced free public transit for residents and tourists in March 2020.
- Last October, Malta started offering free bus rides to the holders of a €15 ($16.38) smart card.
