Driving prices in VBB rise: From January it will be significantly more expensive!

Driving prices in VBB rise: From January it will be significantly more expensive!

Berlin, Deutschland - nag/nag editors -

Passengers in local public transport from Berlin and Brandenburg have to prepare for a noticeable price increase. From January 1, 2025, ticket prices in the Berlin-Brandenburg Transport Association (VBB) will increase by an average of 7.5 percent. This decision was recently made by the VBB supervisory board, such as Tagesschau reported.

The new prices mean that a single trip in the Berlin tariff area will cost 3.80 euros in the future, which corresponds to an increase of 30 cents. The four-trip card also becomes more expensive and costs 10.80 euros from January, a plus of 60 cents. For the ABC tariff zone, which comprises the surrounding area from Berlin, the price increases by 40 cents to 4.80 euros. The VBB environmental card for the area AB will cost 76.70 euros a month as an annual subscription, which also represents an increase, as the information from dpa confirms.

background of the price increase

The price increase is not surprising because it has been speculated since the end of October. Passenger associations have sharply criticized the decision and complain that environmentally friendly mobility makes it disproportionately expensive. In addition, the poor condition of local transport is denounced. VBB justifies the tariff adjustment with the still high costs for fuels, personnel and investments in local public transport. These factors were taken into account when calculating the new prices, which are based on the developments of the lifestyle, electricity and fuel prices of the past 60 months.

In addition, the Germany ticket will be more expensive for 9 euros from 2025 and then costs 58 euros per month. This increase was decided by the traffic ministers of the federal states and will also be effective from January 1, 2025.

comparison with previous price increases

It is worth noting that ticket prices in VBB were raised by an average of 6.7 percent at the beginning of this year. At that time, a single ticket for the tariff area cost from 3.50 euros, which represents an increase of 50 cents compared to the previous prices. The price increases are therefore part of a continuous trend that keeps passengers in recent years.

The Berlin disability officer has also criticized the BVG app, which is actually intended to facilitate driving by public transport. It sees significant defects for people with disabilities and demands improvements, while the BVG itself grants the need to catch up.

The decision of the Supervisory Board and the upcoming price increases raise questions about how mobility in the region can be designed in the future, without the costs for the users to become intolerable. The discussion about the quality and prices of public transport remains a hot topic in Berlin and Brandenburg.