Consumer advice centers are calling for a uniform public transport tariff system

Berlin. The consumer advice centers are calling for a uniform, simple fare model across all local public transport (ÖPNV). The head of the federal association, Ramona Pop, told the German Press Agency: “Anyone who uses buses and trains in Germany needs a tariff system that works the same everywhere.”

The Germany ticket is a successful start to ending the tariff jungle. However, occasional users would still be faced with a confusing patchwork of network boundaries, tariff zones and ticket offers.

The association proposes a pricing model that is based solely on the “time used in public transport” based on the timetable. Specifically, there should only be five ticket types - for 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 120 minutes and for 24 hours. According to a position paper, this tariff approach can be used uniformly, is intuitive and easy to understand. The principle must be understood by passengers and can then apply everywhere.

This would make local public transport much easier for people who only use buses and trains now and then and don't want to take out a subscription. “Especially in times of rising fuel prices, consumers need attractive alternatives to cars,” said Pop. The system should be usable digitally, but also analogue, for example with ticket machines.