Leap in price for experimental public transport ticket sparks backlash in Germany

Germany’s plans to introduce unlimited travel by rail, tram and bus anywhere in the country to €49 (£43 or £1.40 per day) per month from the earlier €9 (around £8) has sparked backlash with some groups viewing it as too expensive.The ticket will cover all but the fastest trains and will include the U-Bahn and S-Bahn networks in the cities. It also includes trams, most buses and even ferry services on the River Elbe in Hamburg.According to the Germany Embassy in London, the aim of the new ticket, which will be implemented sometime next year, is to cut carbon emission and help people with cost of living.The move follows an experiment this summer which included a access-all-areas €9 ticket for the public in June, July and August. The experiment ended on 31 August.The €9 ticket proved to be widely popular and saw overcrowding in public transport, especially trains.The move to increase the price of the ticket to €49 was met with backlash in the country and several groups claiming the new ticket would be out of reach for many.’We are sticking to our position that the €49 ticket will not be affordable for everyone, which is why we’re continuing to push for a €365-a-year ticket,’ Michaela Engelmeier, the chair of the German social association, a lobby group, was quoted as saying to The Guardian.Another lobby group, ADFC, representing cyclists said bicycles should be allowed on trains for free as part of the journey ticket price, rather than people having to pay an additional bike fee.However, some experts have praised the move to increase ticket prices.’We are at least on the way towards a social, sustainable, inclusive transport system. There are a few dominos in Europe that have already fallen in that direction, such as in Luxembourg where public transport is now free,’ Stefan Carsten, an urban geographer and futurologist who compiles an annual mobility report for a Berlin thinktank, told The Guardian: