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Item type:Publication, Access status: with files , Welfare ticket atlas: mapping the social discounts for public transport in GermanyPublic transport is essential for people on low incomes, but fares pose a major barrier to everyday mobility. In 2023, the “Deutschlandticket” flat-fare was introduced as a nationwide travelcard; since then, its price has increased to €63 per month. Although the German government discussed a nationwide subsidy, a uniform discount for low-income travellers is not expected to be introduced in the foreseeable future. Instead, 31 federal states and local authorities provide subsidies, while hundreds of municipalities continue to offer their local welfare tickets to tackle transport poverty. This atlas maps the welfare tickets in Germany for the first time. Information on almost 300 subsidies was collected; granted according to various criteria, they are differentiated by fare type, price, area of validity and eligible group, among other categories. A comprehensive and openly available data set, the atlas contains an explanation for each ticket as well as useful links for further information. The atlas shows that 48% of welfare recipients can purchase the “Deutschlandticket” for a discounted price. Furthermore, 71% have at least one welfare ticket available where they live. The variants include more than 300 offers including pay-as-you-go tickets and travelcards as well as two municipalities with free travel. In most cases, these tickets are facilitated by a social pass, which is usually issued to people on welfare allowance such as “Bürgergeld”. Subsidies are often granted in urban areas where public transport provision is relatively good. In contrast, the vast majority of rural areas has no welfare ticket. 243 out of 497 municipalities do not; and in at least 148 cases the implementation of a local welfare ticket has failed. The wide range of welfare tickets reflects Germany's political federalism. Further, this comprehensive data set shows that the public transport system demands a lot from those entitled to buy a welfare ticket. There are no standardized criteria for eligibility, and the process often involves outdated or contradictory information. A first step could be to standardize the criteria to reduce barriers. A nationally valid and uniformly subsidized welfare ticket would serve as an effective solution. Full data set available via DOI 10.15480/882.14843.Publicationtype: Journal Article64 23 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Access status: with files , Measuring transport poverty with a mixed-methods approach. A comparative case study of the German cities Berlin and HamburgThis mixed-methods study examines transport poverty in Berlin and Hamburg, combining GIS-based spatial analysis of public transport (PT) service levels with qualitative interviews of 40 welfare recipients about their transport experiences. The research reveals that low-income residents do not have worse absolute access to PT, but per-capita service is poorer due to high population density. This highlights inequities where crowded transport systems diminish service quality. The interviews also show that high PT fares, before the introduction of the €58 “Deutschlandticket,” had been a major barrier, forcing individuals to choose between transport and other essential needs like food and housing. This financial constraint limits mobility, employment, and social interaction. The study’s integration of GIS analysis and personal interviews provides a comprehensive view of transport poverty, capturing both systemic issues and individual coping strategies. The findings suggest a typology of seven mobility types among low-income residents, offering policymakers a framework for targeted interventions. Recommendations include fare reductions, improved per-capita services in dense areas, and enhanced support for vulnerable groups to address both systemic inequalities and financial barriers, advancing a transport equity agenda that promotes social inclusion.Publicationtype: Journal Article83 106 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Access status: with files , Does a short journey get me to the food bank? An empirical study on fare-based public transport accessibility and its implications for social equityFares are a critical barrier for low-income earners towards using public transport (PT). While most literature focuses only on travel time and distance, we introduce the novel indicator of ‘fare accessibility’. Fare accessibility extends Hansen Accessibility by incorporating pay-as-you-go costs as impedance, counting the amenity destinations reachable within a €2.30 ticket. To assess distributional equity of fare accessibility in the Greater Hamburg region (HVV) we use Lorenz curves. Furthermore, we employ spatial regression models to predict its variation based on eight factors, including PT service level, purchasing power and car availability. We calculate models at three spatial levels (municipality/PT stop/500 m grid) to discuss the influence of the Modifiable Area Unit Problem. In doing so, we assess the sensitivity and suitability of this indicator beyond established metrics. Fare accessibility shows a significant relationship with centrality at all spatial levels. A single ticket offers the highest accessibility in densely-populated regions with a high PT service index, short travel times, low purchasing power and low car availability. While this hints towards using existing indicators at a regional level, fare accessibility helps to identify local deficits e.g. by quantifying the population without access to a food bank (which we understand as exemplary for any kind of destination). Overall, fare accessibility is less equally distributed than PT service and car availability; the HVV residents holding around half of the purchasing power are not able to reach any destination on a €2.30 budget, which is supposed to connect everyone to the next shopping centre. The share is dependent on spatial resolution, while a finer level improves sensitivity to inequity. With the Modifiable Area Unit Problem in mind, the stop level offers a suitable compromise between precision and computational capacity. Moreover, stop level analysis is compatible with practical PT planning. Overall, fare accessibility emerges as an informative indicator for planners and policymakers. It can be expressed for numerous amenity destinations, offer insights into the daily struggles faced by low-income earners, and provide a tool to assess and improve accessibility for those most in need.Publicationtype: Journal Article46 32