Germany’s Left Party pushes for €9 monthly travel pass revival
Left Party leader Jan van Aken has urged the return of the €9 monthly travel pass, arguing that low-cost public transport is vital to encourage more people to use vans and trains. He believes the federal government has the resources to fund this affordable ticket. Van Aken has criticized the current Deutschlandticket, deeming it too expensive for many people. He proposes to permanently reduce the ticket to €9, funded by around €8 billion per year. Notably, a group had earlier requested a similar funding of about €8 billion in 2023. Van Aken suggests eliminating the climate-damaging company car tax break to finance the €9 ticket. He argues that the federal government's decision to increase military spending while not making the ticket affordable for everyone is unjustified. The funding for the Deutschlandticket is currently secured by federal and state governments contributing annually €1.5 billion each until 2030, totaling around €9 billion, but this is for maintaining higher ticket prices, not lowering it to €9. Van Aken's proposal, if implemented, could make public transport more affordable and accessible, potentially encouraging more people to use vans and trains. However, the funding source and political feasibility remain subjects of debate.
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