In the first month after the introduction of the Deutschlandticket, almost ten million people took out a subscription to the Deutschlandtarif. About half of them switched from an existing subscription.
A month after the start of the Germany tariff, around ten million people took out a subscription for a Germany ticket. This was reported by the editorial network Germany (RND), citing new figures from the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV).
According to this, around five of the ten million customers are so-called switchers who have switched from their existing subscriptions to the German tariff.
According to the association, another 4.3 million passengers are new subscribers who previously bought single tickets or monthly tickets without a subscription, for example. Around 700,000 people are new customers.
Sales figures will probably continue to rise
According to his own statements, VDV President Ingo Wortmann assumes that the sales figures will continue to rise due to the change in tariffs. “The number of people who switch from existing subscriptions to the Deutschlandticket will increase significantly in the coming weeks,” he told RND.
Wortmann also called for the expansion of local public transport services. “The expansion and modernization of the overall public transport system must remain at the top of the political agenda. In addition to the Germany ticket, we also need the Germany offer in public transport,” said the association president.
From May 1st, passengers have the opportunity to use the Deutschlandticket for local transport.
The VDV will talk to the federal and state governments about nationwide improvements in public transport, he announced. The Deutschlandticket is not enough for many people who do not find adequate bus and train services locally to be able to permanently switch to public transport.
Technical problems when checking the ticket
In the meantime, there are still technical problems, especially when checking tickets across network borders. The digital and technical implementation is “not yet fully complete everywhere,” according to the VDV. According to the association, the transport associations want to eliminate the problems by the end of July.
As the “Spiegel” reported on Sunday, there are still technical difficulties when reading out. The reason for this is that the transport associations use different technical systems, which make uniform control difficult.
There had already been delays and problems with the orders and deliveries of the 49-euro ticket.
Read More: Right-wing extremism in Brandenburg: Against the silence
