Bayern’s Transportation Minister Christian Bernreiter (CSU) believes the Germany ticket should be significantly more expensive. “The ticket costs the public three billion euros a year” Bernreiter told the “Mediengruppe Bayern” newspapers (Saturday editions). “If you divide that by the 12 million users, you get around 21 euros more per month. That’s a lot, but it shows how much more the ticket should cost.”
Bernreiter reiterated his fundamental criticism of the ticket. “It’s massive public money for a voluntary consumption expenditure” said the Bavarian Transportation Minister. “The money would have been better invested in infrastructure.”
Although he would not abolish the ticket, Bernreiter believes it should be fully financed by the federal government from 2026 on. “In my opinion, it should be funded completely by the federal government from 2026” he said.
Regarding the financing of infrastructure investments, Bernreiter showed an openness to new debt. “I see two main options: Bundesverkehrsminister Volker Wissing has once presented an infrastructure fund in the window” he said. “Unfortunately, the implementation has not been clarified. Or you explore whether you can take on new debt for infrastructure investments. I am open to everything.”
The necessary investments in roads and rail over cuts to the citizen’s allowance, as some Union politicians demand, will not be enough, Bernreiter said. “As Transportation Minister, I say it won’t work without additional money.”
Bernreiter also sharply criticized the Bavarian Economics Minister and Free Voter leader Hubert Aiwanger. “It makes little sense for Aiwanger to worry about the bark beetle and hunting when the economy is burning” Bernreiter said. “It’s extremely harmful for the state if the Bavarian Economics Minister spends the next two months only on his election campaign, while the chance of the Free Voters to enter the Bundestag is almost zero.