From BZ/dpa
The CDU and SPD in Berlin promise to continue the 29-euro ticket. How exactly this is supposed to work is unclear, especially since it is met with a lot of skepticism in Brandenburg. The left has a concept.
The Berlin left demands a 29-euro local transport ticket for all Berliners and Brandenburgers plus a 9-euro social ticket for needy people in both countries – both based on the new Germany ticket.
The previous Berlin “island solution” with a 29-euro monthly ticket Berlin AB was fine for a transitional period, said the traffic policy spokesman for the left-wing faction in the House of Representatives, Kristian Ronneburg, the German Press Agency. “But it cannot be our approach to only think of Berlin when it comes to ticket issues and, on top of that, to leave federal funds unused.”
In the interests of the people in both countries and the many commuters, common solutions must be found. A new, common tariff structure within the Berlin-Brandenburg transport association (VBB) based on the 49-euro Germany ticket, which will be available nationwide from May, is needed, said Ronneburg.
“The new Senate should approach this as a priority task.” The new state government in Berlin, which is expected to be black and red, must clearly commit itself to such a solution and approach Brandenburg, the left-wing politician demanded. “The VBB is the common umbrella for Berlin and Brandenburg, we are a metropolitan region. And accordingly, the Berlin SPD in particular should finally rely on understandings instead of announcements.”
Valid nationwide for 29 euros
In his estimation, a discount based on the 49-euro ticket would not only make sense for the traffic turnaround and climate protection and would be a relief for citizens, especially since such a monthly ticket would be valid nationwide. Berlin and Brandenburg would also use federal funds in a targeted manner, because the federal and state governments each finance half of the Deutschlandticket; Berlin’s share is around 136 million euros annually. The financing issues must now be clarified quickly, and the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) should provide the relevant figures, Ronneburg demanded.
He pointed out that an additional 29-euro “island solution” to the state share that Berlin would have to pay one way or another would result in additional high costs. 300 to 470 million euros per year are under discussion. From Ronneburg’s point of view, the example of Hamburg can serve as a model for Berlin and Brandenburg, where a system of discounting the 49-euro ticket is planned together with the surrounding area.
The CDU and SPD in Berlin have decided to offer a 29-euro variant permanently, even after the introduction of the 49-euro ticket. The future coalition partners have not yet presented any concepts. It is unlikely that the 29-euro ticket introduced in October 2022 and limited until the end of April will continue seamlessly in May. The necessary understanding within the VBB is missing. There had been several criticisms from Brandenburg and difficult discussions in the VBB supervisory board about Berlin’s ideas for cheap public transport use.