The Berlin-Brandenburg Transport Association (VBB), the largest transport association in Germany, has announced that it will increase the prices for various tickets for the new year. Taken alone, the increases may seem small, but they reflect a policy that lacks the will to truly make public transport a priority - at the expense of those who rely on affordable mobility. – A comment from Thomas Mercy

Customers of the Berlin-Brandenburg Transport Association (VBB), the largest transport association in Germany, book more than 4 million journeys every day. This is now on Thursdayannouncedto increase the prices of several tickets on January 1, 2027. The four-trip ticket for Berlin AB will cost 13.20 euros instead of 12.40 euros from the new year. In Potsdam, the price of a single ticket for the AB area will cost 3.10 euros instead of 3.00 euros from the turn of the year. And anyone who wants to purchase a VBB environmental card for the Berlin AB area will in future have to pay 84.30 euros instead of 81.30 euros.

Even if other ticket prices, such as those for single tickets in the Berlin AB area, are not increased and the increases are on average in the single-digit percentage range, extrapolated this makes a significant difference. In addition, people who are already in a precarious financial situation are often dependent on local public transport.

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Prices have risen sharply in recent years

The latest increases are part of a wave of price increases in local public transport that has swept across the entire Federal Republic in recent years. For example, the frequently used single ticket Berlin AB cost 2.70 euros in 2016 and now, 10 years later, costs 4.00 euros. This means that the single ticket in Berlin is now in fourth place among the most expensive single ticketsstatisticsof the ADAC. The four-trip ticket for Berlin AB is not being increased for the first time; two years ago it cost 10.80 euros instead of the now planned 13.20.

However, for Brandenburg's Transport Minister Robert Crumbach, these prices are still too low. He spoke out in favor of switching to season tickets andevaluatedthe price for the AB ticket in Berlin as “possibly too cheap at the moment”.

But prices are not only rising in Berlin and Brandenburg. The Germany ticket, which can be used nationwide and was introduced in 2023 as the successor to the time-limited 9 euro ticket and is used by more than 14 million people every month, has also become significantly more expensive in the last 3 years. After initially costing 49 euros per month, the price rose to 58 euros in 2025 and to 63 euros in 2026. A further price increase has been announced for 2027Estimatesaccording to which the price would increase to almost 67 euros.

According to ADAC, prices across all ticket types, excluding the Germany ticket, have risen by an average of 27 percent over the last 5 years. These increases are above the combined inflation over the years, which is approximately 22 percent.

Many of the passengers are understandably very unhappy with the increases. The German transport companies and especially the German railways are known for buses and trains arriving late or even canceling altogether. In local transport, for example13 percentall BVG buses and trains and12 percentAll DB local trains arrived late. The BVG counts anything over 3.5 minutes and the DB counts anything over 6 minutes as a delay. And then pay more and more for it without much improvement, and while real wages continue to fall?

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Why are prices rising so sharply?

If you ask the VBB, the reason given for the increase in tickets is the increased costs. In particular, the inflation rate and the necessary investments in vehicles, infrastructure and modern and efficient public transport are expected to pose major financial challenges for the transport association.

In fact, the reason for the price increases is not that costs are rising drastically, but rather that federal and state funding for public transport is continuing to decline. While2024Almost 10 percent of the budget went to the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, it should2027only be around 5 percent. Instead, from 2028 onwards, every third euro should be spent on rearmament and the military.

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In addition, a large part of the money available to the Ministry of Transport is used to maintain and expand the so-called federal highways. In addition, there are regularly massive grants and subsidies for the car industry outside the budget, which could also be used for public transport. The automotive system is worth around 17 billion euros annuallysubsidized. Only diesel subsidies, travel allowances, company car privileges and the promotion of biofuels count. The 6,000 euros in government subsidies for every person who gets a Tesla, or the billions in direct subsidiesVWare not even included.

The introduction of free public transport for all citizens would cost the state between 12 and 15 billion euros per year. This would also be much more efficient at transporting people quickly and worlds more environmentally friendly.

So it's not about the money, but about the political will. The German state doesn't care that a major improvement and expansion of public transport, which is affordable, would greatly improve the lives of workers and at the same time protect the environment somewhat. The German auto industry is home to the largest German monopolies and has a lot of influence internationally, even if it is decreasing. It generates money for the state through taxes and also has a direct influence on politics through lobbying, which is why the state pumps so much money into it.

An efficient, sensible and cheap transport system cannot be built with a state that simply promotes what brings in the most profit, but only with a state that acts according to the needs of the people.

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