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German transport ministers thrash out plans for €9 ticket successor

German transport ministers were set to unveil details of a new budget travel deal following a meeting between state and federal leaders on Thursday - but there are still major questions on funding.

Published: 12 October 2022 16:05 CEST
Updated: 13 October 2022 09:47 CEST
Two passengers buy tickets at Berlin Ostkreuz station
Two passengers buy tickets at Berlin Ostkreuz station. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Christoph Soeder

A month and a half after Germany’s €9 ticket offer came to an end, federal and state ministers are meeting to discuss a new travel deal that could launch next year.

The government has been under pressure to find a successor to the ticket since the three-month deal ended at the start of September, with climate groups and other activists pushing for another eco- and budget-friendly option.

Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) wants to work with state transport ministers on a new nationwide ticket that would be launched by January 2023. This would be valid on local transport networks across Germany and is likely to cost somewhere between €49 and €69 per month. 

A working group with representatives from the state and federal governments has been fleshing out concrete proposals for the pricing and structure of the ticket, with the results set to be announced after the transport ministers’ conference on Thursday. 

However, there are still fierce disagreements between the parties over where the funding for the ticket should come from – and how much it should be. 

The federal government has pledged to provide states with an additional €1.5 billion per year to help pay for the ticket, provided regional governments agree to match this funding. 

This is on top of the €9.4 billion given to states out of the federal budget to order transport services from local providers. 

READ ALSO: Can German ministers agree on funding for a €9 ticket follow-up?

States have agreed to cough up at least €1.5 billion for the ticket next year, but are calling for an additional €1.65 in both 2022 and 2023 to cover spiralling energy prices and the cost of expanding networks into rural areas. 

“Where there is no train, where there is no bus, even the cheap ticket is of no use to us,” said Brandenburg’s head of department Guido Beermann (CDU).

According to reports in the regional Rheinische Post, transport ministers are currently leaning towards a €49 ticket model that could be used on local transport networks all over Germany. 

This so-called “Climate Ticket” could be bought digitally or at ticket machines, and much like the €9 ticket it would be personalised and non-transferrable. 

Other proposals for a €9 ticket successor include a €29 monthly ticket. This is the pricing model favoured by environmental organisation Greenpeace and the Federal Consumer Rights’ Centre, among others.

According to Greenpeace calculations, a €29 ticket would cost the government the same as a €49 ticket in subsidies since sales of the €29 would likely be twice as high. For its research, Greenpeace analysed multiple surveys evaluating consumers’ willingness to buy different types of tickets.

The state of Berlin has recently launched its own €29 ticket to bridge the gap between the expiration of the €9 ticket and the introduction of the new deal in January. The ticket is available for subscription holders and is only valid in zones A and B of the Berlin transport network. 

Meanwhile, German Environmental Aid has floated the idea of a €365 annual ticket that would set the government back around €4 billion. In addition, the climate group is calling for increased investment in expanding and improving the local transport network.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: How will Berlin’s new €29 transport ticket work?

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WILDLIFE

Southern Germany sees explosion of mosquitos after floods

First flooding, and now a plague of mosquitos: hoards of the annoying bloodsuckers are spreading on Lake Constance. Here's what to expect if you are visiting the region.

Published: 24 June 2024 16:57 CEST
Southern Germany sees explosion of mosquitos after floods

After severe floods in southern Germany, conditions are ripe for mosquito populations to explode, according to an expert in the region. 

Rainer Bretthauer, environmental and climate protection officer at the city of Radolfzell on Lake Constance, told DPA that the popular holiday location is already seeing signs of a mosquito plague.

 Bretthauer said that the floods have offered perfect conditions for egg laying, resulting in masses of mosquito offspring.

People living around the area or visiting should be prepared, Bretthauer said. He suggested, for instance, wearing loose-fitting and long clothing.

Timing also plays a role when you’re outside. “They tend to bite during twilight hours when the temperature is higher than 18C,” he said. 

Mosquitos ‘not a bad thing for wildlife’

While growing mosquito hoards may ruin peoples’ camping trips and planned lake vacations, for local wildlife, the mosquitos are a good thing, according to the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (Nabu).

“All the insects that are now developing are a very important food source for many fish species and also for birds,” said Eberhard Klein from Nabu in Constance.

Around 50 species of mosquitoes are known in Germany. Some of them are counted among the so-called floodwater mosquitoes, which increasingly hatch after flooding.

According to experts, these mosquitos are particularly zealous blood hunters, as they have to reproduce quickly before the favourable conditions disappear again.

Floodwater mosquitoes like to lay their eggs on moist soil, often in riparian zones and floodplains. There they can survive in the soil for several years.

When these zones flood and the temperature is favourable, the eggs develop and hatch mosquitos. Therefore large-scale flooding, as seen recently in Southern Germany, can lead to mass hatching.

Mosquito borne illness is spreading to Europe as temperatures warm

Warming temperatures brought by human-caused climate change have allowed mosquito populations to extend further northward in Europe, including disease-carrying species that were previously limited to regions closer to the equator.

For example, the Asian tiger mosquito is not native to Europe but has already been observed in much of southern and central Europe, including Germany.

Tiger mosquitos are particularly concerning because they are known to spread diseases such as dengue fever, chikungunya and Zika virus. Mass outbreaks of these infections have been rising globally. Last year local Dengue outbreaks were recorded in France, Italy and Spain.

With reporting by DPA

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