Price increase in Bonn Public transport costs to crack three-euro limit
BONN/KÖLN · Public transport with bus and train in the traffic group Rhein-Sieg (VRS) will get dearer on January 1, 2019. A one-way ticket from Bonn to Cologne will then cost 8.20 Euro.
The VRS group had announced an average increase of transport prices of about 3.5 percent already June, and named increased staff, fuel and material costs as reasons for the price rise.
Last Friday, the administration union decided on the specific prices. Many of the single, multiple, time and season tickets are getting more expensive. But there are also price decreases in connection with mobile phone tickets.
The changes are affecting the connections in the entire transport network, including Bonn, Cologne, Leverkusen, Monheim? as well as the regions Rhein-Sieg-Kreis, Rhein-Erft-Kreis, Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis, Oberbergischer Kreis and Kreis Euskirchen.
For example, a ticket for adults (price category 1b) will be 10 cents more expensive, costing three euro, and for the four-trip ticket the small discount gets dropped. Short trips will cost 10 cent more as well, then the price will be at two euro , for up to four stops.
8.20 euro for a trip from Bonn to Cologne
The children’s tickets will only be increased in price from price category 3 upwards (i.e. Bonn-Brühl will be 2.50 euro and thus 10 cent dearer). If you want to travel from Bonn’s main station to Cologne, you’ll have to pay 8.20 euro after January 1 (a plus of 30 cent more). A weekly ticket for Bonn city will be 90 cent more (then: 26.30 euro), a monthly ticket will cost 98.50 euro (3.20 euro more).
Money can be saved when using the mobile app. The administration union decided to offer a five percent discount, instead of the three percent people with the app get currently. A city ticket 1b bought via the app will be 2.70 euro instead of 2.71 euro. A trip to Cologne will be 7.38 euro, 18 cent less than now.
Day tickets which were valid until the end of operations that day will then be valid for 24 hours. Time-based tickets will also be available in the Ahrweiler area.
The Green Party wanted to appeal the increase in the prices for the single tickets. „An increase to three euro cannot be explained by comparison with other similar services in this country“, said Rolf Beu, a member of the VRS committee. But the Green Party opinion did not prevail.
„Especially because of the Lead-City Bonn discussion and the 365-day-ticket this is sending a completely wrong signal“, said Beu. He suggested that customers should mainly use the mobile phone tickets.
(Original text: Phillip Königs / Translation: Mareike Graepel)
