Dhe way has been paved for the introduction of the 49-euro ticket for millions of passengers in local bus and train transport. After a long tug of war between the federal and state governments, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and the Prime Ministers clarified the last financial questions on Thursday. “The Germany ticket will come now, also very quickly,” said Scholz. When exactly it starts in the new year, he left open. So far, the countries are aiming for April 1st. In their last top round in 2022, the federal and state governments also agreed on the details of a hardship fund for companies in the energy crisis.
The introduction of 49-euro tickets can now be tackled in concrete terms. “All hurdles have been removed so that those responsible in the federal states and the transport companies can now do everything to ensure that this progresses quickly and efficiently,” explained Scholz. The chairman of the conference of prime ministers, Stephan Weil (SPD) from Lower Saxony, said that there was now agreement that the costs incurred in 2023 would be “borne in half”. At the same time, he made it clear that the countries are aiming for a start by the end of the first quarter of 2023. It shouldn’t be “a summer issue”.
The nationwide usable ticket for buses and trains in local transport is to come with an introductory price of 49 euros per month and tie in with the popular 9-euro ticket from the summer. A digitally bookable, monthly terminable subscription is planned. However, many modalities still need to be clarified. There was a problem with the introduction, which had already been decided in principle, because a new financial dispute had arisen. The federal states expressed doubts about the calculations and demanded that the federal government also bear half of any additional costs. The federal and state governments had already agreed to give half of up to three billion euros a year to compensate for loss of income.
Hardship fund for small and medium-sized companies
According to Scholz, it was also discussed how to ensure that the prices for gas, district heating and electricity are reduced as long as they are not reduced to a “natural level” again. A hardship fund for small and medium-sized companies was also planned. However, the federal states had rejected financial participation in a federal program. After the meeting, Scholz took it as “a good sign that things can start now”. The federal states would supplement the money flowing into the fund from the federal government with their own funds.
North Rhine-Westphalia’s Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) admitted that it had not been possible to anchor special aid specifically for wood pellet and oil heating. “We now have to give an answer to this in the countries themselves.” Scholz gave hope to private households with such heaters: “We have also provided for a hardship regulation within the framework of the Economic and Stabilization Fund, which is aimed at those who are the price increases that they cannot bear, have to cope with, with regard to pellet and oil heating systems.” Scholz added: “We are continuing to discuss whether all practical cases are actually covered.”