On 1 July, there is to be a transitional solution for students in the Trier region, which will make it possible to add the Deutschlandticket to the semester ticket for each month. There will be no additional costs beyond the €49. This “upgrade model” is intended to last until the start of the winter semester 2023/2024 – at which point a uniform solution for students throughout Germany is to be created.
“After months and many discussions, we as students are glad that there is finally some clarity for us in Trier with which we can plan. We had hoped for a quicker solution and made that clear to the contract partners. This delay has squandered a great deal of trust among the students. However, the question of financial compensation until the start of the interim solution is still open.” explains Kevin Mangrich, spokesperson for the AStA of Trier University.
A semester ticket in the solidarity model applies to students in the Trier region. All students pay a price of approx. 155€ and can thus travel in a use local public transport and regional trains of Deutsche Bahn in a certain area.
“The fact that students who want to use the Deutschlandticket will have to pay more than €49 for the months of May and June due to a lack of a solution is beyond belief. To criticise in the strongest terms. We find the two-month gap unacceptable. We are talking about an already often precarious status group, which since the Corona pandemic and the ongoing energy crisis, we also have to turn over every penny twice.” clarifies Yvonne Pickhardt, Higher Education Policy Officer.
The AStA of the University therefore demands:
- the final commitment of the contractual partners for the start on 01 July
- financial compensation for students who purchased a Deutschlandticket in May and June
- the fast, unbureaucratic and reliable implementation of a nationwide solution at the beginning of the winter semester 2023/2024
The Trier region is by no means alone with the problems of implementation. The picture is not uniform throughout Germany. In some federal states, students were already able to use the Semesterticket in conjunction with the Deutschlandticket, but in other federal states there is still no satisfactory solution. It is
up to the Federal Minister of Transport and the transport ministers of the federal states to finally work consistently for a uniform and sustainable solution.