Leipzig introduces the 365 euro ticket for local public transport

What can be done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport in the near future? Clearly, local public transport could be made more attractive and cheaper. Because wherever it is easier and for little money to get from A to B publicly, people will switch to the underground, S-Bahn, bus and tram.

Vienna has already done this and offers its residents an annual ticket at a price of 365 euros. So effectively you drive for one euro a day. The model has caught on, with additional restrictions for motorists, Viennese now love to use public transport. Leipzig would like to do it now and will soon be offering its own 365 euro ticket.

It’s not quite like it is in Vienna yet, because from August 1st the ticket is only valid for people with low incomes (they get the “Leipzig Pass”). From January 1st, all those citizens who are under 27 years of age will join the group. As Mayor Burkhard Jung announced, the ticket should have a socio-economic purpose and give as many people as possible access to public transport, and the environment should continue to benefit.

It remains to be seen whether the success will be as resounding as in Vienna, where 1.1 million people now have an annual ticket (total population: ~ 1.9 million). But if that is the case, other metropolises should follow pretty soon, in Berlin and Bavaria, too, such a model has been under discussion for some time.

Own opinion:

In order to reduce greenhouse gases in cities, it is essential to make public transport more attractive. Many metropolises are already well equipped for the future, there is a stop almost every few meters. But emissions can only be saved if the system is actually used. In Munich, for example, I now pay around 60 euros for a month, so extrapolated to the year, around 700 euros are due. That’s good, but I’m still usually cheaper to travel by car.

Via The Next Web