Redistribution of Ticket Income from Germany Planned - Revenue from ticket sales in Germany to be reallocated
In a recent development, local public transport companies in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are expressing concerns about the equitable distribution of revenue from the Germany Ticket. The Germany Ticket, a nationwide monthly subscription introduced in 2023, is designed to simplify and unify access to public transport services across Germany.
The concern stems from the fact that large, interregional providers are favoured in the current distribution model, leaving local transport companies with less revenue compared to the German Railways, which has significant marketing power.
Wolfgang Waldmüller, a CDU state parliamentarian, has voiced his concerns, demanding a clear stance from the red-red state government in favour of the companies in the state, including a retroactive adjustment for the whole of 2025. CDU politician Stefan Sternberg, the district administrator of Ludwigslust-Parchim, reported that out of the 12,000 subscribers to the Germany Ticket living in the district, only 1,800 bought their ticket from the local transport company.
The state government of Schwerin has stated that, for the years 2023 and 2024, companies selling Germany Tickets will keep the revenue from them. However, from October, the state government plans to distribute Germany Ticket revenues according to the buyers' postal codes. This change is seen as a step in the right direction for local transport companies, as it could potentially regularize their revenue streams and adjust their revenue shares compared to former local ticket models.
Consultations between the parties involved are currently underway nationwide for the new distribution. The Conference of Transport Ministers has unanimously demanded a retroactive adjustment for the whole of 2025. The exact distribution of the Germany Ticket revenue for the years 2023 and 2024 is not specified in the provided information.
The new distribution will consider aspects such as tourism. This could potentially shift ridership patterns, impacting local operators in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern sold approximately 2.4 million Germany Tickets last year, generating around 113 million euros.
Without specific figures or updates for Mecklenburg-Vorpommern from October 2023, it is not possible to describe precise changes in revenue distribution or quantify the impact on local public transport companies. For detailed and up-to-date information, checking official announcements from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern’s transport authority or the respective regional transport associations would be necessary.
- The CDU state parliamentarian, Wolfgang Waldmüller, has suggested that the red-red state government in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern should implement a community policy that involves vocational training programs for residents in the banking-and-insurance and industry sectors, as a means to support local businesses and job growth within the region, thereby lessening their dependency on revenue from the Germany Ticket.
- In collaboration with the rural and local transport companies in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, vocational training could potentially be extended to include hands-on experience in managing and maximizing revenue generated through ticket sales, thereby equipping them with the necessary skills to better adapt to the changes in the distribution of revenue from the Germany Ticket.
