Transport ministers are planning a Germany ticket for occasional drivers

The transport ministers of the federal states want to create a nationwide ticket offer for occasional drivers in local public transport.

It's about an offer "for occasional users with Germany-wide spatial validity analogous to the Deutschlandticket," the Düsseldorf Rheinische Post quoted from a draft resolution for the transport ministers' conference that begins on Wednesday.

Passengers check in via cell phone

According to the report, North Rhine-Westphalia and Hamburg made the proposal: They have in mind a smartphone-based “in/out tariff”: passengers check in and out again using their cell phones.

“Anyone who only takes the bus and train occasionally must be able to travel just as easily and under fair conditions as the frequent travelers with the Deutschlandticket,” said NRW Transport Minister Oliver Krischer (Greens). His federal state should therefore work out the specific design.

North Rhine-Westphalia as a model

With the “eezy.nrw” offer, North Rhine-Westphalia has already shown how it works, Krischer continued. "The digital tariff always selects the cheapest price per route. In addition, the monthly amount is capped, so it is never more expensive than with a Germany ticket."