Billing per trip: NRW wants a nationwide digital ticket for occasional drivers
A new digital individual ticket is intended to make buses and trains more attractive for occasional travelers and is based on the Deutschlandticket.
Quick Look
- NRW and Hamburg are proposing a nationwide digital individual ticket for occasional drivers for the conference of transport ministers.
- Trips should be registered via smartphone and automatically billed at the cheapest tariff, capped at the price of the Germany ticket.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The Germany ticket currently costs 63 euros and is expected to rise to 66.80 euros next year.
The Deutschlandticket currently costs 63 euros and is used by millions of commuters and frequent travelers. NRW also wants to bind occasional drivers more closely to public transport. A new nationwide digital single ticket should help.
A new digital ticket offering will soon be introduced nationwide for occasional bus and train riders - as a supplement to the existing Deutschlandticket. The start and end of the journey should be registered via smartphone and the cheapest tariff should be calculated automatically. However, passengers do not pay more in total in a month than for a Germany ticket. The states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Hamburg have submitted a corresponding proposal for the autumn conference of transport ministers, as the North Rhine-Westphalia Ministry of Transport announced.
The application from North Rhine-Westphalia and Hamburg for the conference starting tomorrow, Wednesday, in Hohenschwangau, Bavaria, envisages setting up a working group to create a concept for the new ticket system. The model is the eezy.nrw offer in North Rhine-Westphalia, which, according to the Ministry of Transport, is a great success. In September, more than 1.4 million trips were billed with eezy.nrw.
NRW Transport Minister Oliver Krischer explained the idea: "Those who only occasionally travel by bus and train must be able to travel just as easily and under fair conditions as frequent travelers with the Deutschlandticket." The system that already works in North Rhine-Westphalia could be expanded nationwide: "Then occasional drivers could soon be able to travel easily and comfortably on local transport throughout Germany."
The Pro Bahn passenger association supports the initiative. "This gets people into local transport. Because there are many who don't buy a Germany ticket because they can hardly use it," said honorary chairman Detlef Neuß to the "Rheinische Post". He suggested involving groups and families. The Germany ticket for nationwide regional transport currently costs 63 euros per month, next year it will cost 66.80 euros.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Establishment of a working group by the Conference of Transport Ministers
Likely · Within days
Open Questions
- When could the new ticket system be introduced?
- How is the technical implementation regulated nationwide?
