Dörner, who is also chairwoman of the supervisory board of SWB Bus und Bahn, justifies her approval as follows: "Of course, fare increases are not in the spirit of the urgently needed change in transport, after all, we want to make public transport even more attractive. However, the cost development of the transport companies is dramatic. This also applies to our Bonn SWB transport companies." Alternatives to the fare increase would be to restrict the service or to compensate more than three million euros from the municipal budget.

The former would also massively cut the attractiveness of public transport, while the latter is not feasible given the city's current financial burdens, Dörner said. "We are currently in a massive area of tension. On the one hand, the transport companies have to shoulder enormous cost increases, on the other hand, the users of public transport cannot compensate for them alone." It is urgently necessary that the federal government and the state quickly introduce an attractive successor model for the 9-Euro-Ticket and finance it solidly.

Dörner pointed out that Bonn has had a 19-euro social ticket for people on low incomes since September, so they are not affected by the fare increase. "The decision of this two-stage fare increase at this point in time is a painful but necessary compromise," says the mayor.

Councillor Jürgen Wehlus, who sits in the assembly for the Bonn CDU, blows the same horn. He also agreed to the increase - unlike last year. "At the time I was wavering," he admits, "but now everyone has to ask themselves who is going to pay for the tariff increase for the drivers, which is sorely needed, and the costs for the absolutely necessary new vehicles," he says.

Corona in particular has torn a huge hole in the public transport company's coffers, "what was actually needed was a 20 per cent increase," he says. Like Dörner, Wehlus is counting on the federal and state governments to quickly agree on a successor ticket to the 9-euro ticket. Wehlus is convinced that it must cost at least 49 euros in order to be economically justifiable.

Dörner's party colleague Rolf Beu pointed out that the coalition agreement of the council majority clearly states that they want to work for cheaper fares without any financing reservations. "The change in transport cannot be had for free in Bonn either. In addition to cycling, where millions are already flowing through the approval of the cycling referendum, this also applies to bus and rail," Beu emphasised.

The use of public transport must remain affordable for every citizen of Bonn. "It can't be that social tickets can be obtained for 19 euros a month in Bonn, but people who, as low earners, are just above the marginal amounts, then have to pay many times that amount directly for their VRS monthly ticket.“

According to Beu, the VRS has steadily increased the share of the costs that passengers have to pay over many years, so that fares in the region are now among the most expensive in the whole of Germany.

"Even in Berlin, which is about ten times as big and not wealthy, a cheap monthly ticket has now been introduced for everyone, with the same cost situation as in Bonn, while those responsible here in the region talk about service cuts," Beu is not afraid to take a swipe at his party colleague Dörner. "For the transport turnaround, we don't need fewer services, but more, more reliable and cheaper ones. The Bonn coalition agreement also makes binding statements on this."

SPD councillor Gabi Mayer is also aware that the transport companies are struggling with rising costs. "But the VRS tickets are already among the most expensive in Germany. Passing on the additional costs to the passengers alone by raising prices is the wrong way to go," she agrees with Beu.

"We need a new financing structure," says Mayer, adding that the price increase spiral in the VRS must finally be broken. "Raising ticket prices right now, in an economically difficult time, is neither social nor climate-friendly. I was therefore particularly disappointed that Mayor Dörner voted in favour of the price increase," said Meyer, who also referred to the coalition agreement in this context.

Original text: Lisa Inhoffen

Translation: Mareike Graepel