Mandatory Ticket for Students in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
Gordon Schnieder Advocates for Free Germany Ticket for All Students in Rhineland-Palatinate
Opposition leader Gordon Schnieder has called for the Germany Ticket to be extended to all students in Rhineland-Palatinate, aiming to encourage young people to use public transport and facilitate a switch to sustainable modes of travel.
Currently, student tickets in Rhineland-Palatinate are issued as Germany tickets, with eligibility based on the feasibility of the school commute not being possible on foot. However, the current regulation only applies to some students, leaving many schoolchildren, including those living within a 4-kilometer radius of their school, ineligible.
Schnieder's son, who has the Germany Ticket as a student, can travel to various cities because of it. Yet, students living close to their school cannot benefit from the ticket due to not qualifying for it.
In an interview with the German Press Agency, Schnieder expressed his views on the Germany Ticket, stating that it is the responsibility of the state to cover the costs for all students to receive the ticket. He also urged Minister of Transport Katrin Eder (Greens) to push for the extension of the Germany Ticket to all children.
Schnieder's call for the Germany Ticket to be extended to all students is a new development in the discussion about the ticket's availability. He also aims to become Minister-President after the state election.
The discussion about the Germany Ticket's availability includes considerations about encouraging young people to use public transport and establishing new user groups. Schnieder believes that including all children, including those living within a 4-kilometer radius of their school, is necessary to achieve these goals.
Schnieder also highlighted the switch to public transport as one of the potential benefits of extending the Germany Ticket to all students. He has not commented on how his proposal for the Germany Ticket would be financed.
However, Schnieder has urged the federal government, especially his brother Bundesverkehrsminister Patrick Schnieder and Bundesfinanzminister Lars Klingbeil, to secure a fair and permanent financing solution to expand and maintain the ticket without price increases or service cuts.
The Germany Ticket is a student ticket that currently only applies to some students in Rhineland-Palatinate. Schnieder's advocacy for all schoolchildren in the state to receive the Germany Ticket could lead to a significant shift in the region's transportation landscape, making public transport more accessible to a wider demographic.
The source for this information is dpa / EVN.
