Ingo Wortmann, president of the Association of German Public Transport Companies (VDV), has urged the federal government to channel the money from the earmarked special fund straight into modernising public transport. He warned in a contribution to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that the budget must be directed where it is intended – into expanding, modernising and decarbonising buses, trams and railways – because that is exactly where the flexibility was created. Wortmann said political credibility will ultimately be judged by whether those funds are used for that purpose.
The coalition contract sets a high agenda, but there remains a significant gap between promises and reality, he added. “If independent economic institutes report that only a limited share of the money is actually invested purpose‑fully, that will be a warning sign for the public’s trust in political decisions, for our country’s performance, for the quality of life of citizens, and for the achievement of climate goals” he observed.
Public transport and rail are not a peripheral element of state investment policy. They are a core service area and a decisive lever for the country’s modernization, Wortmann said. The VDV, which represents about 700 companies in Germany’s local public‐transport sector, highlighted that the industry is ready to take responsibility, invest, and expand capacity. “But this readiness requires a political framework that makes implementation possible” he said.
To target the available resources, the VDV proposed five concrete measures:
1. Immediate financial assistance for local transport.
2. A reliable corridor‑price subsidy scheme.
3. A faster propulsion transition in bus traffic.
4. Flexibility in the municipal transport financing law to facilitate local investment.
5. Targeted use of state and municipal infrastructure funds for public transport.