In order to advance the traffic turnaround in Berlin, the Greens parliamentary group in the House of Representatives is calling for the annual subscription for public transport to be made more attractive. “This can include, for example, extended passenger transport, weekend driving in tariff zone C or free bike transport,” says a paper that the parliamentary group unanimously decided on Saturday at their retreat in a conference hotel near Nauen.
“Also in view of the war in Ukraine we have to get away from fossil fuels. That’s why the mobility turnaround is a key factor,” said parliamentary group leader Werner Graf. In order for more people to switch from cars to public transport, more incentives for a public transport subscription would have to be created.
As a medium-term goal, the parliamentary group calls for the introduction of a multi-mobility ticket. In addition to buses and trains, a monthly subscription should also include the use of sharing and taxi offers. “One trip, one price, in one flat” is the motto, said Graf, who had recently requested such an offer in an interview with the Tagesspiegel. “My goal is that we can do this by the end of the legislative period,” said the group leader.
In the short term, the Greens want to significantly expand the area covered by the planned digital on-call bus system. According to previous plans, the offer should start this year in parts of Lichtenberg, Marzahn-Hellersdorf and Treptow-Köpenick. “We need to double or triple that area,” Graf said. According to the parliamentary group’s paper, the necessary funds should already be made available in the current negotiations for the 2022/23 double budget.
Traffic Senator Bettina Jarasch (Greens) also spoke out in favor of changing the subscription. “We need tariffs that make it easier to switch and where the offers at the Jelbi station are already included. We’ll focus on that.” The senator had traveled by bike and was therefore late for the meeting.
The aim of the tariff reform must be to form a secure financial basis for local transport and at the same time to be social, said Jarasch. “Stronger shoulders can carry more.”
However, critical tones were also evident in the debate. “It’s not much,” said MP Stefan Ziller with a view to what has been achieved so far with the traffic turnaround. “So far we have not had a concept in Berlin on how to manage the rush hour.” There is no capacity for this in the BVG and S-Bahn vehicles.
Monika Herrmann, former district mayor of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, also warned against the daily mirror more speed. “We must not lose ourselves too much in the small details of the administration. The drive must now become clearer again,” she demanded.