Large-scale study More public transport and slightly fewer cars thanks to 9-euro ticket
Munich · Traveling on public transport for 9 euros per month throughout the whole of Germany. Initial results from a major study confirm that this special offer was convincing for many people.
Initial results of a large-scale study on the 9-euro ticket confirm that the special offer is effective. According to a research group at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), 35 percent of the study participants from the Munich area used buses and trains/trams more often. Besides that, they learned that 3 percent of people used their own vehicle less frequently and 22 percent of the participants used buses and trains for the first time.
The researchers also observed an impact on Munich's road traffic situation: the flow of vehicles in June decreased by about three percent compared to May - although it normally increases by about this amount in the time from May to June.
Study measures mobility behavior via App
A special feature of the Munich study is that it does not rely solely on surveys, but also measures actual mobility behavior via smartphone. Each day, data from around 700 to 750 participants was recorded, as study leader Klaus Bogenberger, Professor at the Chair of Traffic Engineering at TUM, explains. A total of around 1,000 people are taking part.
"It was not to be expected that daily behavior would change radically because of a new offer," Bogenberger says in consideration of the initial data. He also emphasizes: "The proportion of people who are traveling with alternatives to their own car for the first time is all the higher." In the beginning, many people did try using buses and trains, he says. In the meantime, there has been a slight decline in interest. Still, the professor reaches a positive conclusion at this point in the study: "The important result is that many have integrated public transport into their everyday lives.”
Follow-up offer under consideration
Bogenberger has several options in mind as to what he thinks could replace the 9-euro ticket: a local 365-euro ticket, a 69-euro ticket for Bavaria, or an offer where you purchase a monthly mileage budget - similar to the data volume of a cell phone contract.
(Orig. text: dpa / Translation: ck)
