Project for cleaner air 1-Euro-a-day Ticket for Bonn’s public transport - but not for all

Bonn · The city council Bonn is presenting initial ideas for the „Lead City“ project to promote cleaner air. An annual ticket for buses and trams for just one Euro per day is part of this. But not everybody can avail of the offer.

The funding program „Lead City“ appears to have been thrown together rather quickly by the responsible ministries for environment and traffic. The tight schedule for planning and implementation of the measures for cleaner air in five model cities - one of which is Bonn - creates difficulties for the Bonn planning office. The head of the department of municipal planning and building control Helmut Wiesner, hurriedly drew up a template on Tuesday night. It shows what the Federal Government expects - and what the city is planning to deliver. The ministry for the environment had already issued a list of measures which seem to be feasible.

Apparently the ministry is pushing for the „Vienna model“. In Austria’s capital, commuters can use buses and trams for one Euro per day. Bonn wants to introduce a ticket for 365 Euro per year, following Vienna’s example. Such a tryout ticket for a whole year is supposed to be only available to new customers, to attract motorists. To implement this plan, 22 million Euro were made available until 2020. If everybody could purchase this 1-Euro-a-day Ticket, the number of season ticket holders would increase, and that alone would cost the city about 26 million Euro.

In total, the Federal Government has promised almost 38 million Euro in financial funding. The city of Bonn would only have to pay five percent, about 1.9 million Euro. The remaining 16 million will supposedly be used to offer more frequent services.

In agreement with the Rhein-Sieg region and the transport association Rhein-Sieg there will be three positions to improve mobility management. Three employees will prepare analysis reports, work on concepts and advise employers.

Beside „Lead City“, there’s also a NRW program called „emission-free city centre“, with a similar objective. The city council announced that the implementation of the funding program requires more staff in the administration.

In regards to „Lead City“, the administration has to hand its concrete ideas to the ministry before August 20. The city council finally agreed unanimously, despite obvious disapproval from the politicians looking at the tight schedule by the ministry.

Original text: Philipp Königs

Translation: Mareike Graepel

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