For families with two or more children, the Germany ticket will no longer be worth it as of January, according to calculations by the environmental organization Greenpeace. A switch from car to bus and train will turn into a minus business for a four-person family, according to a short study on the unprofitable business, as the price increase from 49 to 58 euros at the turn of the year will be a loss. “This price increase is a mistake” said Greenpeace’s traffic expert, Lena Donat, to the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland”. Many families would worry about rising living costs. The environmental organization is therefore demanding a 29-euro ticket, where children up to the age of 18 can travel for free.
According to Greenpeace’s model calculations, the abolition of a five-year-old family car at the previous ticket price of 49 euros still saved 350 euros a year. As of January, the car, however, will be the more cost-effective alternative. If a family car cannot be completely given up, for example, because the public transport offer does not suffice, the Germany ticket will not be worth it, neither at the old nor the new price. A 29-euro ticket with free child travel, on the other hand, could relieve a four-person family of around 1,300 euros a year. “To relieve family budgets and the climate, buses and trains should be more attractive than a personal car” said Donat.