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Berlin considers annual public transport ticket for 1€ per day

The annual public transport ticket for Berlin should cost €365 like it does in the Austrian capital Vienna, according to mayor Michael Müller.

Published: 8 July 2019 09:14 CEST
Berlin considers annual public transport ticket for 1€ per day
A tram in Berlin's Alexanderplatz. Photo: DPA

Michael Müller said he was “inspired' by Vienna's public transport ticket system and said Berlin could learn something from it.

“I want to pursue the goal step by step of being able to offer an annual ticket for local public transport for €365,” said the SPD politician during a panel discussion by Swiss newspaper the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ).

The discussion, which involved sharing ideas on different cities, was held between Zurich mayor Corine Mauch, Vienna mayor Michael Ludwig and Berlin's Müller.

Petition calling for cheaper public transport

Annual passes for the S-Bahn, U-Bahn, bus and tram system in Berlin currently cost €728 or €761 depending on the method of payment. But there have been repeated calls to drastically reduce the price of the pass.

At the beginning of last year, the Clever Cities Initiative, founded by Berlin traffic activist Heinrich Strößenreuther, launched a nationwide petition calling for the annual ticket to be reduced to €365 per year. “One euro a day for buses and trains – that is a clear sign for clean air, for an effective climate policy and for a long overdue traffic turnaround at federal level,” said Strößenreuther in February 2018.

SEE ALSO: Germany considers free public transit in fight to banish air pollution

He argued that the government could finance this initiative by reallocating diesel subsidies to it. The petition has been signed by more than 32,000 people.

How can Germany reach air pollution targets?

Germany is trying to think of ways to reduce air pollution to reach EU air pollution targets. The government last year said it was considering free public transport “to reduce the number of private cars”.

READ ALSO: Why this German city plans to make public transport free

Since then, five German cities – Bonn, Essen, Herrenberg, Mannheim and Reutlingen – have been earmarked to offer significantly cheaper transport tickets, with the government poised to subsidize the projects with €128 million to help cover the income shortfall.

Improvements needed

In Vienna, the city government lowered the price for annual tickets, which are paid in advance, from €449 to €365 in May 2012.

The effects are positive: the number of annual tickets sold, which was 303,000 in 2005 and around 373,000 in 2012, has risen sharply. Last year, the company that runs local transport, Wiener Linien, put the figure at 822,000.

It is proudly pointed out that there are now more annual tickets sold in Vienna than there are cars. 

The number of passengers using public transport also increased –  from around 875 million in 2012 to 961 million in 2017.

However, Vienna points out that improving and expanding transport services is also integral to the success of their system. In 2017, the Vienna U-Bahn network was extended by almost five kilometres, and further new lines are planned.

In Berlin the U5, which previously only ran east of Berlin's central Alexanderplatz, is undergoing expansion. But no decision has yet been made to extend further parts of the underground network although feasibility studies are dealing with possible extensions of the lines U6, U7 and U8.

The Berlin Senate has, however, pledged to inject the public transport system with €28 billion over the next 15 years in a bid to upgrade the network, with trams being the current main focus of the project.

Member comments

  1. Totally up for this! Other than the obvious cost savings, the reduction of noise and air pollution and a better flow of traffic in and around the city centre will help with growingly harsher climate conditions. There, however, needs to be clear targets set for the pollution levels though. This will give a measurable indication of how effective it is/was.

    It’s still a win-win situation for all but as pointed out the lines would need to be expanded. Else it will just shift the congestion to the rail system.

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BERLIN

EXPLAINED: Berlin’s latest Covid rules

In response to rapidly rising Covid-19 infection rates, the Berlin Senate has introduced stricter rules, which came into force on Saturday, November 27th. Here's what you need to know.

Published: 27 November 2021 16:16 CET
Updated: 29 November 2021 14:17 CET
A sign in front of a waxing studio in Berlin indicates the rule of the 2G system
A sign in front of a waxing studio indicates the rule of the 2G system with access only for fully vaccinated people and those who can show proof of recovery from Covid-19 as restrictions tighten in Berlin. STEFANIE LOOS / AFP

The Senate agreed on the tougher restrictions on Tuesday, November 23rd with the goal of reducing contacts and mobility, according to State Secretary of Health Martin Matz (SPD).

He explained after the meeting that these measures should slow the increase in Covid-19 infection rates, which was important as “the situation had, unfortunately, deteriorated over the past weeks”, according to media reports.

READ ALSO: Tougher Covid measures needed to stop 100,000 more deaths, warns top German virologist

Essentially, the new rules exclude from much of public life anyone who cannot show proof of vaccination or recovery from Covid-19. You’ll find more details of how different sectors are affected below.

Shops
If you haven’t been vaccinated or recovered (2G – geimpft (vaccinated) or genesen (recovered)) from Covid-19, then you can only go into shops for essential supplies, i.e. food shopping in supermarkets or to drugstores and pharmacies.

Many – but not all – of the rules for shopping are the same as those passed in the neighbouring state of Brandenburg in order to avoid promoting ‘shopping tourism’ with different restrictions in different states.

Leisure
2G applies here, too, as well as the requirement to wear a mask with most places now no longer accepting a negative test for entry. Only minors are exempt from this requirement.

Sport, culture, clubs
Indoor sports halls will off-limits to anyone who hasn’t  been vaccinated or can’t show proof of recovery from Covid-19. 2G is also in force for cultural events, such as plays and concerts, where there’s also a requirement to wear a mask. 

In places where mask-wearing isn’t possible, such as dance clubs, then a negative test and social distancing are required (capacity is capped at 50 percent of the maximum).

Restaurants, bars, pubs (indoors)
You have to wear a mask in all of these places when you come in, leave or move around. You can only take your mask off while you’re sat down. 2G rules also apply here.

Hotels and other types of accommodation 
Restrictions are tougher here, too, with 2G now in force. This means that unvaccinated people can no longer get a room, even if they have a negative test.

Hairdressers
For close-contact services, such as hairdressers and beauticians, it’s up to the service providers themselves to decide whether they require customers to wear masks or a negative test.

Football matches and other large-scale events
Rules have changed here, too. From December 1st, capacity will be limited to 5,000 people plus 50 percent of the total potential stadium or arena capacity. And only those who’ve been vaccinated or have recovered from Covid-19 will be allowed in. Masks are also compulsory.

For the Olympic Stadium, this means capacity will be capped at 42,000 spectators and 16,000 for the Alte Försterei stadium. 

Transport
3G rules – ie vaccinated, recovered or a negative test – still apply on the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams and buses in Berlin. It was not possible to tighten restrictions, Matz said, as the regulations were issued at national level.

According to the German Act on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, people have to wear a surgical mask or an FFP2 mask  on public transport.

Christmas markets
The Senate currently has no plans to cancel the capital’s Christmas markets, some of which have been open since Monday. 

According to Matz, 2G rules apply and wearing a mask is compulsory.

Schools and day-care
Pupils will still have to take Covid tests three times a week and, in classes where there are at least two children who test positive in the rapid antigen tests, then tests should be carried out daily for a week.  

Unlike in Brandenburg, there are currently no plans to move away from face-to-face teaching. The child-friendly ‘lollipop’ Covid tests will be made compulsory in day-care centres and parents will be required to confirm that the tests have been carried out. Day-care staff have to document the results.

What about vaccination centres?
Berlin wants to expand these and set up new ones, according to Matz. A new vaccination centre should open in the Ring centre at the end of the week and 50 soldiers from the German army have been helping at the vaccination centre at the Exhibition Centre each day since last week.

The capacity in the new vaccination centre in the Lindencenter in Lichtenberg is expected to be doubled. There are also additional vaccination appointments so that people can get their jabs more quickly. Currently, all appointments are fully booked well into the new year.

 

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