If the Deutschlandticket is available for 49 euros from Monday on, many bargain hunters will long for last summer's 9-euro ticket. The Sozialverband Deutschland, on the other hand, points out that not all people could spend 49 euros a month on bus and train travel. But it won't be any cheaper, because the federal and state governments are already reaching the limits of their financial capacity with 1.5 billion euros each for this and the next two years.

That's why the 49 euros are just a kind of introductory price that is not set in stone. After all, the new flat-rate price for local and regional transport cannot remain completely detached from the development of costs for personnel, infrastructure and vehicles.

If the quality of public transport increases, which everyone wants, prices must also rise, at least to a certain extent. This is not changed by the realization that the new monthly ticket will bring the Republic a big step forward in the urgently needed compliance with the climate targets in transport.

Low-income earners should be relieved

So it is clear that in a few years we will no longer be talking about the 49-euro ticket, but about the 55-euro or 60-euro ticket. A clear indication of this is the fact that the inventors of the nationwide flat-rate offer proactively decided on the name Deutschlandticket, without referring to the current price.

Even the 365-euro ticket for pupils and seniors, which has been offered in Hesse for years, will not be available for one euro per day until the end of time.

For people with low incomes, there are already special regulations in many Hessian cities that enable an even cheaper use of public transport.

In addition, the state government provided by the CDU and the Greens will offer a "Hessenpass mobil" from August. This special flat-rate offer allows low-income earners to purchase the Deutschlandticket for 31 instead of 49 euros. The principle of "one ticket for all" is thus weakened, but social justice is difficult to achieve with blanket regulations.