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Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing: "Complex undertaking that will take time"
Photograph:
IMAGO / IMAGO/Mike Schmidt
According to the ideas of Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP), the 49-euro ticket could soon also be valid in France.
The country is planning a national ticket similar to the Deutschlandticket, Wissing told the newspapers of the Funke media group and the French newspaper "Ouest-France". I would have a lot of sympathy for us to mutually recognize our national tickets." Germany and France could make a start and other European countries could follow suit. However, he did not say anything about concrete plans or possible talks in this regard. Instead, the Minister of Transport qualified: "However, this would be a complex undertaking that will take time."
The Deutschlandticket for 49 euros per month has been valid since 1 May. It entitles you to travel nationwide on all buses and trains of local and regional transport. The ticket is intended as a subscription, but can be cancelled on a monthly basis. A month after the launch of the ticket, around ten million people had subscribed to it.
Wissing rejected criticism of the ticket, according to which it makes little sense in rural areas. "Depending on the region and daily travel time, consumers can save up to 4000 euros per year when using a combined car and public transport. Because of the longer commuter distances, the CO2 savings potential here is also many times higher than in the cities." It is unrealistic to enable nationwide a nationwide tight public transport cycle as in large cities. Therefore, cars and public transport must be thought of as combined.
The Minister of Transport was also asked in the interview whether he was using the 49 ticket himself. It is integrated into the network map of the Bundestag, Wissing replied. "Unfortunately, as a minister, I have far too little time to use public transport."
sol/dpa