© dpa
After the official launch of the 49-euro ticket, Berlin's public transport company BVG has sold the ticket subscription around 250,000 times already.
About 230,000 of them were customers switching from their previous subscription to the 49-euro ticket, BVG said Monday. "In this respect, demand was higher today than in recent days, but not comparable to the 9-euro ticket and its short lead time," it said. Passengers can now purchase the monthly subscription, which is valid on all local and regional buses and trains nationwide, via the respective apps or websites, as well as optionally at local sales outlets.
BVG had already been accepting advance orders for the so-called Deutschland Ticket since the end of February. The new ticket can be used from the beginning of May. By the middle of last week, BVG said it had received around 135,000 orders. Most of the people who pre-ordered the Deutschland Ticket already have a BVG ticket subscription, according to the company. Some BVG contracts, such as the Abo65+ and the company ticket, will be switched automatically on May 1 due to the better conditions offered by the Deutschland Ticket.
According to BVG, around one-third of buyers to date have opted for the digital ticket. The subscription is issued as a chip card or cell phone ticket. The ticket is displayed in the app no later than 72 hours after the order is placed. The 49-euro ticket, which is valid nationwide, is the successor to the 9-euro ticket that was valid for three months last summer. It is intended to make regional and local public transport more attractive and affordable. After months of wrangling, the federal and state governments agreed to share the cost of the ticket equally. Last Friday, the Bundesrat approved the measure, clearing the last political hurdle.