Way to go: why Germany’s €9 travel pass is a big step in the right direction |

After two years of Covid-driven decline in public transport use and increasing automobile traffic globally, what can governments do to entice people out of their cars? In Germany, the response to the effects of the pandemic and the cost-of-living and climate crises has been bold and decisive. The federal government introduced a €9 (£7.60) monthly public transport pass, available to everyone and across the network for the months of June, July and August.

As soon as the offer was announced, our social media streams were buzzing with people sharing news of snapping up the opportunity to enjoy inexpensive, unlimited travel on all buses, trams, subways and regional trains across Germany. And after just one month, the success of the scheme appears to make a compelling case for other countries to follow suit.

A preliminary analysis found that, while previously longer train trips (in excess of 300km, or 186 miles) made up a majority of journeys on the German railway network, the reverse was true in June 2022. In just the first week, train trips of between 100km and 300km increased to 46% above pre-Covid levels – and, most impressively, to 58% for short-distance journeys of 30km to 100km. At the same time, a TomTom analysis found a decline in car congestion, resulting in improved driving times in 23 of 26 German cities examined.

What are the implications of these behaviour shifts, and what are the lessons for other countries or regions that are considering similar schemes?

First, making public transport cheaper should aim at significantly improving access to economic opportunity – including employment and education – for the residents who need it the most. For many, the choice to use public transportation is predicated on the availability of affordable and reliable options. If it is deemed too expensive – especially for those with lower incomes – or is inconvenient in terms of station location, routing or frequency, the average person will opt for the seemingly more affordable and reliable option: the car.

What makes the flat-rate €9 ticket so attractive is, of course, the price; even a usage of 20 days a month equates to a modest 45 cents a day. However, while a discounted fare is important, it is worthless without public transport networks, eg local buses, regional trams and intercity trains, to support it, complementing each other to provide (nearly) door-to-door connectivity.

This integrated, fine-grained provision has been the secret of the success of public transport in the Netherlands, where we and our children live comfortably without a car.

We take frequent buses, trams and trains in virtually every corner of the country, and giving up the car we relied on before moving from Canada has done nothing to limit our ability to travel longer distances for school, work, social visits, sporting activities and even camping holidays.

Every day, millions of Dutch people combine a walk or cycle with some form of motorised public transport to access their daily needs. Despite this fact, however, long-distance car journeys are increasing, in part because many find the cost of public transport a barrier to usage. A one-way, 25-minute train journey…