With a €9 pass, you can travel around Germany at a great discount. Suffice it to say that the monthly cost of Berlin’s only two indoor public transport areas was 86 euros – nearly ten times as much.
The reduced public transport permit was introduced to increase energy prices and reduce dependence on Russian energy imports. In the first week of ticket sales of 9 euros, Deutsche Bahn sold only six and a half million units and
They are expected to sell 30 million units in two months.
Awareness of the ticket, first experiences regarding its purchase and use, and attitudes regarding the future choice of means of transportation were examined through a survey. After the first week of submission.
Awareness of the new type of ticket
OpinionTRAIN 2022 Research 3,200 adults were asked, of whom 29 percent had already bought the new ticket, and 26 percent thought they would. And 38 percent indicated that they would not buy such a ticket.
97 per cent of those surveyed had already heard of a €9 ticket, and 10 per cent had already bought it by July and August. Half of ticket buyers are in the 30-59 age group, 29 percent were under 30 and 21 percent were over 60.
According to their place of residence, 28 percent of them live in cities with a population of more than half a million, a third of them are in settlements with a population of 50-500 thousand, and 39 percent are in settlements with a population of less than 50 thousand.
As for the shopping experience, 89 percent of ticket buyers thought it was easy and simple to buy a ticket. Importantly, 98 percent of those over the age of 60 said so.
The survey shows that
The product is also popular with those who have never used public transportation before.
74 percent of those who buy the ticket think the 9 euro ticket is a good opportunity to get to know public transport better (this rate is higher for those who have never used public transport before or very rarely, at 81 percent).
For 66 percent of ticket buyers, the new type of ticket is a good reason to use public transport more than before (this percentage is 77 percent for those who have never used public transport before or very rarely).
The survey also showed that a quarter of ticket buyers had never or rarely used public transportation in the past.
91 percent of shoppers find the new lease a particularly convenient and attractive offer. This rate is more than 85 percent across all age groups, with the highest percentage among retirees (over 60) and those who rarely use public transportation.
Characteristics of travel with a ticket 9 euros
Ninety percent of ticket buyers in the first seven days used it, primarily on domestic transportation (63 percent), primarily for commuting to work and daily affairs.
Among those who used the ticket in the first seven days, 30 percent of trips were within 100 kilometers, compared to just 7 percent for long-distance travel. The most common purpose of long-distance travel was to visit the city and relatives.
Switching from car to public transport
73% of respondents say the €9 travel permit is a good reason not to go by car. This rate is highest in the 30-59 age group (76 percent).
As for the change of mode of travel and additional traffic resulting from the ticket, this was checked on the basis of the question regarding the last flight made. Recent trips made by users of the €9 ticket revealed:
- 47 percent had a rate where the trip would have been by bus or train anyway, with only other types of tickets.
- In 44 percent, there was a change of style where another mode of transport would likely be used without a ticket. The highest rate of 26 percent was diverted from a car to public transportation.
- The percentage of trips that could not have been made without this adequate construction was 9 percent (additional traffic).
According to the distribution of distances, 25 percent of these trips were made by public transport rather than the car, 27 percent for trips of less than 100 kilometres, and 35 percent for trips of more than 100 kilometres. In the same way, there is a greater additional demand for flights of longer distances, ie the flight that would not have taken place without a permit.
Traveler satisfaction
Traveler satisfaction was examined based on several factors (value for money, delay, crowding, and overall satisfaction with the trip).
One such aspect has proven to be critical, which is the availability of seats. 27 per cent of travelers with this €9 ticket were dissatisfied. This is especially the case on long trips, where about half of users experience some problems due to congestion when traveling for distances longer than 100 km.
Also, 48 percent of season ticket buyers said they were happy to use the busy flights and stations. This is least annoying for those under the age of 30. 86 percent of customers were completely or completely satisfied with the value for money. Overall, 61 percent of travelers expressed satisfaction with the trip.
What do future users think?
38 per cent of ticket buyers think they will use public transport more often from autumn, even after the €9 ticket has expired.
This rate is 27% for those who do not or rarely use public transportation before. Fifty-five percent of ticket buyers indicated that they would buy a similar product even if it was more than 9 euros.
According to the research authors, low-cost monthly rent shows serious and promising changes in transportation options. At the same time, they add, the next three months will show whether the €9 card meets the expectations of political and business decision-makers.
(Cover Image: Felix Kästle/Picture Alliance/Getty Images)
