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"I cannot even put into words the freedom that the 9-Euro Ticket has given me" : how low-income earners benefited from Germany's 9-Euro flat fare and why the upcoming Deutschlandticket will fall short
Citation Link: https://doi.org/10.15480/882.8991
Publikationstyp
Conference Presentation
Date Issued
2023-09-07
Sprache
English
Other Contributor
TORE-DOI
Citation
9th EUGEO Congress Barcelona (2023)
Contribution to Conference
Peer Reviewed
false
From June to August 2022, the German government offered an unprecedented fare: The 9-EURO TICKET allowed anyone to travel anywhere in the country for a monthly fee of just 9 euros. This was incredibly low, especially for the nationwide option. Given that the German PT is fragmented into more than 100 associations, the federal intervention was seen as nothing short of a 'revolution'.
To investigate the impact on low-income earners, we conducted an in-depth survey of 30 poor PT users in Hamburg and the surrounding area. Interestingly, their adapted behaviour was not very different from that of the general population: They made the same trips as before, just more often. Some travelled to new destinations, but mostly within the greater Hamburg area. The main difference was the low fare. All respondents pointed out that the 9-euro ticket had made their lives easier, both financially and emotionally. These findings are in line with previous studies on the mobility of marginalised groups: In Europe's largest economy, there are significant numbers of people who have to choose between buying a meal or a metro ticket on a daily basis.
After extensive public debate, the government decided to introduce the DEUTSCHLANDTICKET, which was launched in May 2023. The Deutschlandticket costs 49 euros a month and does not include any social discount. Some regions, however, subsidise the fare for people on low incomes. For many people in other regions, however, the Deutschlandticket remains (too) expensive.
Based on the above interviews and GIS-based fare analyses, I present a state of affairs in 'Revolutionary Germany' - regarding the positive temporary effects of the 9-Euro Ticket, the promise of the Deutschlandticket and the implications for those who have to choose between a meal or a metro ticket.
To investigate the impact on low-income earners, we conducted an in-depth survey of 30 poor PT users in Hamburg and the surrounding area. Interestingly, their adapted behaviour was not very different from that of the general population: They made the same trips as before, just more often. Some travelled to new destinations, but mostly within the greater Hamburg area. The main difference was the low fare. All respondents pointed out that the 9-euro ticket had made their lives easier, both financially and emotionally. These findings are in line with previous studies on the mobility of marginalised groups: In Europe's largest economy, there are significant numbers of people who have to choose between buying a meal or a metro ticket on a daily basis.
After extensive public debate, the government decided to introduce the DEUTSCHLANDTICKET, which was launched in May 2023. The Deutschlandticket costs 49 euros a month and does not include any social discount. Some regions, however, subsidise the fare for people on low incomes. For many people in other regions, however, the Deutschlandticket remains (too) expensive.
Based on the above interviews and GIS-based fare analyses, I present a state of affairs in 'Revolutionary Germany' - regarding the positive temporary effects of the 9-Euro Ticket, the promise of the Deutschlandticket and the implications for those who have to choose between a meal or a metro ticket.
Subjects
Armut
Mobilitätsarmut
Poverty
Transport Disadvantage
Hamburg
HVV
9-Euro-Ticket
Deutschlandticket
DDC Class
380: Commerce, Communications, Transport
Funding Organisations
Förderkreis für Raum- und Umweltforschung (FRU)
More Funding Information
This publication has been generously supported by the Förderkreis für Raum- und Umweltforschung (FRU), which supports young researchers of the Academy for Territorial Development in the Leibniz Association (ARL).
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