Germany’s affordable public transit offer has successfully nudged some consumers to ditch their cars for trains.
(Bloomberg) — Germany’s affordable public transit offer has successfully nudged some consumers to ditch their cars for trains.
After the so-called Deutschland-Ticket for unlimited travel started in May, the number of train trips of more than 30 kilometers (19 miles) increased by 27.5% in June to more than 123,000 on mornings during the work week, compared with less than 97,000 in April, according to data from mobile telecommunications provider O2 Telefonica. The figures were earlier reported by news agency DPA.
Read More: Germany Sets the New Standard for Cheap, National Mass Transit
For €49 ($55) a month, ticket holders get unlimited travel on all city buses, subways and trams in every municipality across Germany. The ticket is a follow-up to an even cheaper but limited offer last summer. The nationwide plan aims to reduce carbon emissions by making it easier and cheaper for people to use public transport.
There were nearly 100,000 fewer daily car trips on average in June, compared with the same month in 2019 — before the pandemic and last year’s €9 ticket, according to O2’s analysis of mobile phone data.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.