The cheap monthly public transport ticket that Germany introduced this summer has not resulted in fewer cars on the road. 3 percent of car users would leave the car more often because of the ticket. This is apparent from preliminary figures from the German city of Munich, where, among other things, Tagesschau writes about.
For 9 euros, people can travel through Germany for a month on almost all public transport this summer. Only the fastest intercity trains are not included in the ticket.
The cheap ticket was created because of the high fuel prices. The idea is that by making public transport almost free, people can leave their car behind in many cases. Furthermore, the ticket was seen as an opportunity for sustainable mobility.
The first data shows that only 3 percent of motorists in Munich have actually exchanged their car for a ride on the bus or train. The cheap ticket seems to be mainly used for trips that would otherwise not be made, such as a day trip. This is about a quarter of the trips.
What is striking is that the trains were 42 percent busier in June than in June 2019. This would mainly be due to travelers who otherwise would not have left at all. According to the figures, 30 million people had the monthly ticket in June.