Skepticism regarding Wissing: Berlin's 29-euro ticket meets with criticism

The announcement by the Berlin Senate to introduce a 29-euro ticket for public local transport from July does not resonate with all politicians. Federal Minister of Transport Volker Wissing expressed concerns regarding financial planning and the credibility of the regional government. The criticism of the FDP minister is particularly fueled by the contrast between the Senate's demand for more federal funds for the nationwide 49-euro ticket and the simultaneous introduction of the cheaper Berlin offer. Wissing emphasizes that balancing attractive prices with high-quality service offerings is essential. In his view, the regional ticket subsidized additionally by state funds could ultimately be at the expense of service quality. To maintain stable prices for public transport, he argues for structural reforms aimed at digitization and streamlining of the more than 60 transport associations. The renewal of distribution structures is expected to serve as a further step to increase efficiency and reduce costs. Special attention is paid to the fact that the cost-effective city ticket is only valid for the Berlin city area and can only be purchased as part of an annual subscription. The start of advance sales was scheduled for April 23 by Berlin's Senator for Transport, Manja Schreiner, and Senator for Economic Affairs, Franziska Giffey.