Public transport tickets worth 29 euros (in terms of rubles – almost 1.800) will be extended until the end of March, and their price will not change either for residents or for guests of the German capital. The corresponding statement was made by the authorities of Berlin in Germany.
“The €29 ticket is extended: the discounted offer will be valid in the Berlin area until the end of March 2023. In this way, the Berlin Senate is investing in modern public transport and is effectively taking the burden off Berliners,” the Senate wrote on its official social media account. This offer has been in effect since October of this year.
What happened and is happening in the history of public transport in Germany in the summer and autumn of 2022 has not happened before in this European country: at the beginning of summer, the German authorities decided to massively support the tourism sector, public transport and travelers. To do this, they allocated unprecedented amounts. In autumn, the program changed, but still remained profitable for tourists.
Before the Senate decided to extend the discount offer, the authorities planned to keep the €29 ticket only until a new €49 ticket (about 3,000 rubles) was introduced, which would be valid in a subscription format like on a public , and on regional transport throughout the country. Interregional travel cards are expected to be introduced by January 1, 2023 (details here).
According to Volker Wissing, who is federal government minister of transport under Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the new program will “remove hurdles” in the system by allowing tickets to be used outside the regions. Moreover, he stressed that the new pass will be as easy to use as a €9 ticket (550 rubles). In other words, travelers will be able to move in all directions and make any number of transfers.
Now the authorities have decided not to let the winter tourist period “run by chance” and support the desire of travelers to travel around the country and the German capital. According to Berlin Mayor Franziska Giffey, it is important to strengthen local public transport, as it ensures social participation and also speeds up traffic turnover. “Strengthening local public transport is good for the whole of Germany, because it makes people's lives much easier, ensures social participation and speeds up the circulation of traffic,” Giffey said in a statement published by German newspapers.
According to the Senate, the supplementary budget provides 500 million euros to alleviate the burden of citizens through discounted tickets for local public transport. Treasury Senator Wesener explained that by providing an additional budget, the authorities want to ensure reliability in uncertain times of crisis.
Turprom previously wrote that “Is this the end? Hotels and restaurants in Europe's largest economy are preparing for massive closures.”
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