To get the government to bring back the affordable ticket scheme, the activist group has created a fund to cover the fines of its members for ticketless riding.
For three months, passengers could traverse Germany for just nine euro per monthImage: Arnulf Hettrich/imago images
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An initiative by activists is attempting to continue Germany's popular 9-euro ticket scheme— which sold about 52 million tickets — though without official recognition. The ticket, which was available for just three months and allowed passengers to travel on local and regional public transit throughout Germany for just €9 ($8.92) per month, ended on August 31.
The low-cost ticket was introduced to ease the financial burden on consumers amid high inflation and sharply rising energy costs. Many people in Germany would like to see the payment scheme made permanent — and now a group is taking some unusual steps to continue paying just €9 per month.
Is Germany's €9-ticket a gimmick or a role model?
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9 Euro Fund: how it works
The 9 Euro Fund uses paying members' monthly membership fees to fully cover fines its ticketless members incur while riding public transport — even for multiple penalties.
Demand for the 9 Euro Fund has been high. The campaign's spokesperson, Leo Maurer, told DW that "10,000 people have either become a member or donated" to the fund already — and 20 paying members have incurred fines.
The Fund's organizers recommend that passengers traveling without a regular ticket display a tag — printable from its website — clearly stating that the passenger is traveling without a ticket. The Fund's organizers believe publicly announcing their intentionally ticketless travel will spare passengers possibly being charged by authorities with obtaining services by fraud — a more serious offense than just incurring a fine for riding without a ticket.
Germany: Tourism sector reviews the 9-euro ticket
After three months, the special offer of the 9-euro ($9.38) ticket for nationwide use on local and regional public transport is about to end. It made tourist highlights accessible at low cost, but not without criticism.
Image: Chris Emil Janßen/IMAGO
Sylt — a dream island destination at a bargain price
The white dream beaches of the North Sea island of Sylt attract hundreds of thousands of vacationers every year. Most of them are well-heeled, because Sylt is one of the most expensive vacation destinations in Germany. With the 9-euro ticket, at least the journey was possible at a bargain price.
Image: Chris Emil Janßen/IMAGO
Sylt — swamped by crowds of travellers
However, with the advent of the 9-euro ticket, the island of the rich and beautiful was virtually swamped by people with smaller wallets. The invasion of a rather atypical public made headlines: Punks and other groups critical of consumerism besieged downtown Westerland — much to the chagrin of the clientele who normally stroll here.
Image: Katarzyna Eiting/Eibner-Pressefoto/picture alliance
The benefits for Hamburg
In the greater Hamburg area, the 9-euro ticket has proved a sales hit: More than 1.8 million tickets were sold in the first two months. Many people from the surrounding area took advantage of the opportunity to travel cheaply to check out the sights of the Hanseatic city, such as the Elbphilharmonie concert hall. According to a survey, this saved more than four million car journeys.
Image: Marcus Brandt/picture alliance/dpa
More day tourists in Rhineland-Palatinate
As in many other regions of Germany, according to the Rhineland-Palatinate Tourist Board, many day tourists used the 9-euro ticket for excursions to the state's sights. No doubt a large number of them admired Trier Cathedral, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Image: Peter Schickert/picture alliance
A boost for Castle Neuschwanstein
The fairytale castle of Neuschwanstein in Bavaria has always been a magnet for visitors. But as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the flow of visitors dried up here, too. The 9-euro ticket came at just the right time and boosted visitor numbers. Tegernsee and Chiemsee or Hohenschwangau Castle were also among the 9-euro winners in Bavaria.
In Saxon Switzerland, too, tourist attractions recorded an increase in visitor numbers thanks to the 9-euro ticket. Pictured here is the Bastei Bridge, where thousands of tourists explore the spectacular natural landscape, many of them on a day trip.
Image: Robert Michael/picture alliance/dpa
Public transport problems in rural areas
In rural areas it's better to be independently mobile because, like here in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, trains rarely run. Environmental associations are therefore calling for greater support for local public transport in rural regions and the expansion of the route network. According to a study, 55 million Germans outside the metropolitan regions are without adequate public transportation.
Image: Jens Büttner/picture alliance/dpa
Historic trains pick up speed
Historic trains like the seaside train "Molli" in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania experienced an influx of visitors thanks to the 9-euro ticket. Operators say passenger numbers increased significantly during the three-month period. The same applies to the Harz narrow-gauge trains, which are already popular with tourists, and the "Rasender Roland" (Rushing Roland) steam train on the island of Rügen.
Image: Jens Büttner/picture alliance/dpa
Ideal for weekend getaways
The 9-euro ticket was particularly popular with weekend travellers. According to the Federal Statistical Office, in June, the first month of the special offer, the use of regional and local trains was 83% higher on Sundays and 61% higher on Saturdays than before the COVID-19 pandemic. As here in Stralsund, this led to high capacity use of trains and crowding at the station.
Image: Stefan Sauer/picture alliance/dpa
What will follow the 9-euro ticket?
Maintaining the 9-euro fare seems unrealistic at the moment. A majority of Germans would like to see a service that applies to all tariff areas nationwide — and would pay more for it. Metropolitan areas such as Erfurt would then certainly continue to attract many tourists, while rural regions would probably lose out without an expansion of local public transportation.
Image: Martin Schutt/picture alliance/dpa
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The 9 Euro Fund began covering ticketless riders on Thursday following the end of the 9-euro ticket scheme. The fund's first day in operation coincided with a separate nationwide ticketless ride organized by the climate activist group Last Generation. The latter group told DW their goal was to show "that our government isn't even taking the easiest steps that are, so to speak, absolute no-brainers, to lower CO2 emissions and prevent us from a climate catastrophe."
Activists from other countries in Europe have organized similar funds. In Sweden, the Planka.nu campaign has offered passengers a ticketless travel scheme similar to the 9 Euro Fund for more than 20 years. Another initiative, called "yo no pago" ("I don't pay"), exists in Spain and covers the fines ticketless passengers incur.
Benjamin Grunst, an attorney specializing in criminal law, told DW that the legality of the 9 Euro Fund’s tactics is murky. While the organization's offer to pay fines incurred while traveling without a ticket is legal, he said that public incitement to commit a crime — in some cases and areas, fare evasion may be against the law — would be a criminal offense.
"The operators are sailing very close to the legal wind here," Grunst said. "I assume that the public prosecutor's office will promptly investigate whether there is an initial suspicion of a criminal offense."
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