French President Emmanuel Macron wants a cheap season ticket to travel by public transport in his country. Macron told a YouTube news channel that he would be in favor of a similar arrangement as in Germany, where travelers can use all regional trains and buses for 49 euros a month.
The scheme has been a great success in Germany. The 49 euro ticket was a follow-up to the German plan that temporarily allowed people to travel by train for 9 euros a month. The ‘Deutschlandticket’ was intended at the time as compensation for the sharply increased fuel prices. At the same time, it was also intended to allow more people to experience the benefits of public transport and leave their car at home. In Germany, more people have started traveling by train because of the ticket; according to a recent survey, about 10 percent of Germans now take a train who would never do so before.
Deutschlandticket
French President Macron has now asked his transport minister to set up the system in all regions willing to participate. It is the intention that in time there will be a national subscription, just like the Deutschlandticket now in Germany.
The billion-dollar project is intended to reduce CO2 emissions by allowing more people to abandon their cars and opt for more sustainable public transport. In Germany, at least eleven million subscribers have been added since the launch.
Vivianne Heijnen, State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management, said this year she would conduct research into the support and financing for such a ticket in the Netherlands. At the moment, however, the NS is still struggling with staff shortages, which makes it difficult to cope with greater crowds in the trains. Financing is also still a problem, according to Heijnen. According to experts, the chance of a similar card as in Germany is therefore small.
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