Should the UK follow Germany with low-cost unlimited travel pass? POLL
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Germany is launching a new rail travel scheme which allows unlimited travel by rail, tram and bus anywhere in the country for €49 (£43) per month. Should the UK follow suit and introduce a similar low-cost national travel pass? Vote in our poll.
The nationwide transport pass costs the equivalent of just £1.40 per day and could be introduced as early as January 1 next year.
The German Embassy in London announced news of “the digital Deutschlandticket” on Twitter on November 3. They said the unlimited travel pass would be available next year, but later added: “The Association of German Transport Companies has warned that it may not be possible to roll out this ticket from January. Everyone is aiming to have the ticket in place asap.”
The scheme intends to cut CO2 emissions and help people manage the cost of living crisis. It is available to all, regardless of nationality and does not require pre-booking.
The calendar-month ticket covers all but the fastest trains, U-Bahn and S-Bahn networks in the cities but includes trams, most buses and ferry services on the River Elbe in Hamburg. Despite not being valid on intercity expresses, journeys across the country are possible on slower regional express trains.
It follows the success of the €9 (£8) monthly ticket which allowed national travel for June, July and August this summer. The project offered similar unlimited use of local and regional German trains for three months.
This deal worked out at around 25p per day and was so low-cost that a single short journey paid back the price of the pass, but resulted in many services being overcrowded.
The scheme, which reportedly cost the German Government about €2.5billion (£2.1billion) aimed to support its efforts to encourage environmentally friendly travel and combat rising inflation and fuel prices.
According to the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV), 52 million €9 rail passes were sold in Germany and reportedly saved 1.8 million tonnes of CO2, equivalent to planting 90 million trees.
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The new scheme sees a 444 percent increase in price from the summer rate, but despite the hike, it is still seen as a good deal by many. Terry Reintke, co-president of the Greens in the European Parliament tweeted last month: “ €49 is not €9 but it’s still a good step forward for affordable, climate-friendly and social mobility.”
After meeting with his counterparts from Germany’s 16 states last month, Transport Minister Volker Wissing said: “With the nine-euro ticket we showed that simplicity is better”. He announced that the new ticket would not be printed and could be bought monthly or as a continuous pass.
The Federal Government has reportedly offered to subsidise the pass with €1.5billion (£1.3billion) annually alongside state funding.
In July, referring to the summer scheme, Labour MP for East Leeds Richard Burgon said on Twitter: “In Germany you can now get a travel card for local and regional trains for just nine euros per month…Let’s fight for this here!”
So what do YOU think? Should the UK follow Germany in introducing low-cost unlimited train travel? Vote in our poll and leave your thoughts in the comment section below.
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