Transcript Verkehrsverbund Berlin

October 26, 2012
Is Free Public Transport possible?
Experiences and Debates from Berlin,
Brandenburg and the Rest of Germany
Dr. Matthias Stoffregen
Tariff, Sales and Marketing
VBB Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH
Tallinn,
October 26, 2012
VBB.de
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VBB Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH
Hardenbergplatz 2
10623 Berlin
October 26, 2012
Agenda
1. Berlin-Brandenburg in Germany: Structures and
Financial Resources
2. Experiences from Brandenburg
3. Interlude: “Free Public Transport for Pupils is Possible”
4. Recent Political Debates (1): The “pirates”
5. Recent Political Debates (2): Participatory Budgets
6. Recent Political Debates (3): Congestion Charge and
Free Public Transport
7. Reflections
VBB.de
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VBB Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH
Hardenbergplatz 2
10623 Berlin
October 26, 2012
1. VBB: In the heart of Europe
Berlin
and
Brandenburg
Germany
Surface: 358.000 km²
Inhabitants: 82 millions
16 Federal States
VBB.de
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Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg
GmbH
Hardenbergplatz 2
10623 Berlin
October 26, 2012
1. A big region
Berlin:
Surface: 891 km²
3,46 Mio. Inhabitants
12 Administrative districts
Brandenburg:
Surface: 29 476 km²
2,5 Mio. Inhabitants
14 Counties, 4 County-level cities
419 Cities and communities
VBB:
Surface: 30 367 km²
5,96 Mio. Inhabitants
Two states
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Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg
GmbH
Hardenbergplatz 2
10623 Berlin
October 26, 2012
1. Significant Disparities
Highly populated metropolis
Berlin
Inhabitants: 3.46 million
Population density:
3 884 inhabitants/km2
Thinly populated area
county Prignitz
Inhabitants: 82 023
Population density:
39 inhabitants/km2
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Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg
GmbH
Hardenbergplatz 2
10623 Berlin
October 26, 2012
1. Passengers and Revenues, 1999-2011
Ridership:
since 2000: + 20.7% passengers
2010/2011: + 1.2% passengers
1.400
1.300
1.200
1.136
1.197
1.176 1.185
1.256 1.237 1.240
1.227
1.100 1.061
1.000
954
872
900
800
727
717
2001
901
2002
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1.095
2011: 3.51 Millionen passengers/day
2003
2004
2005
2006
Ridership
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1.025
1.065
Fare revenue:
since 2000: + 50.6 %
2010/2011: + 2.8%
794
764
700
2000
965
996
1.281
1.260 1.266
Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg
GmbH
Hardenbergplatz 2
10623 Berlin
2007
Incomes
2008
2009
2010
2011
October 26, 2012
1. Where the Money Comes From
Regionalization Fund
Berlin 16%
Passenger fares
VBB-wide 46%
Decentralization law
Berlin 2%
Others Berlin
below 1%
Federal capital funding
below 1%
appr. 2,3 Billion €
Own resources Berlin
11%
Regionalization fund
Brandenburg 17%
Transport severely
handicapped 2%
Resources
BB-municipalities
3%
Own resources
Brandenburg 0%
Decentralization law BB
1%
Sources: VBB, federal states Berlin and Brandenburg 2010
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Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg
GmbH
Hardenbergplatz 2
10623 Berlin
October 26, 2012
1. Where Does The Money Go To?
•
i.a. to an expensive sales infrastructure…
 between 2% (subscribers) and up to 20% of the ticket price
 very few reliable figures!
VBB.de
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Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg
GmbH
Hardenbergplatz 2
10623 Berlin
October 26, 2012
2. Experiences from Brandenburg: Lübben (Spreewald)
• 1996/7: dispute between city and district
on the funding of the city bus line
• 1998: introduction of free PT in Lübben‘s
city buses, financed by the town
• number of passengers +400%
• 2002: abolition of free PT
• Still reduced fare, compared to
regular VBB-Tickets
Inhabitants:
14.000
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Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg
GmbH
Hardenbergplatz 2
10623 Berlin
October 26, 2012
2. Experiences from Brandenburg: Templin (Uckermark)
•
picturesque historical city centre
•
1997: introduction of free PT in Templin‘s
city buses, in the beginnig successful
(number of passengers +1300%)
•
costs of about 100 T €, covered by the
municipal budget (purchase of tickets)
•
traffic offered had to be increased
•
since several years free PT only for tourists
who with overnight stay who pay
visitor‘s tax, or for citizens who
buy a years‘ ticket for ~50 Euros
•
today only one city bus line left
VBB.de
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Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg
GmbH
Hardenbergplatz 2
10623 Berlin
Inhabitants: 16.000,
territorially 8th largest
city in Germany (!)
October 26, 2012
3. „Free Public Transport for Pupils Is Possible“
 Especially heated debates on PT for pupils
 Popular petition in 2008 in the federal state of Brandenburg
 Vs the Brandenburg school law of 2004 which introduced parents‘
contributions for their childrens‘ PT tickets
 did not reach referendum stage because most Brandenburg
districts cut the parents‘ contributions to zero
 Larger cities in Brandenburg do not
subsidize PT for pupils
 Only exception Potsdam, discount ~ 10%,
only for subscribers
VBB.de
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Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg
GmbH
Hardenbergplatz 2
10623 Berlin
October 26, 2012
4. Recent political debates (1): The “Pirates”
 new political party in Germany
 political core issues: internet, transparency, citizen’s rights, “liquid
democracy”
 Unexpected electoral successes in
several elections in the federal states
in 2011/12: Berlin (15%!),
Schleswig-Holstein, Northrhine-Westphalia,
Saar
 Demand for “ticketless PT” (in contrast to
“free PT”) – at least as a pilot project
- Thoughts about other financial resources
such as state taxes, based on income
- “We are paying a lot of subsidies for PT
anyway!”
- estimated contribution of about 20-30 Euros
per person and month
VBB.de
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Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg
GmbH
Hardenbergplatz 2
10623 Berlin
October 26, 2012
5. Recent Political Debates: Participatory Budgets



Part of the annual (or biennial) budget debates in several German cities
Demands in Potsdam (Brandenburg’s capital, highly fragmented party
system, 158.000 inhabitants) for free PT
lengthy debate with a lot of myths and half-knowledge
- in 2009 it became the 4th most
voted item to be debated in the
communal parlament, rejected
- in 2012 new initiative, no decision yet
Initiatives in other cities:
•
Aschaffenburg
•
Trier (for single weekdays, eg. Saturdays)
•
Stuttgart
…but no positive decisions yet!
VBB.de
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Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg
GmbH
Hardenbergplatz 2
10623 Berlin
October 26, 2012
6. Recent Political Debates (3): City Access Charge
 Tübingen:
- 89.000 Inhabitants
- 27.000 university students
- 22.000 commuters from
surrounding areas
- Modal split: about 25% for
cars, bikes, PT
and pedestrians each
- Pilot project 2009: free PT
on Saturdays (“Tübingen
macht blau!”)
VBB.de
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Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg
GmbH
Hardenbergplatz 2
10623 Berlin
October 26, 2012
6. Recent Political Debates (3): City Access Charge
 Mayor: Boris Palmer (Green Party)
 Clear majority in the city council
favouring free PT
 How to make it possible?
- Idea: Congestion charge, until
now legally impossible
- Latest update (October 19):
Palmer switches from
congestion charge to
community tax
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Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg
GmbH
Hardenbergplatz 2
10623 Berlin
October 26, 2012
7. Reflections
 “Was nichts kostet, ist auch nichts wert.”
- Customers should not underestimate the worth of a functioning PT
system
- Without fare revenues, it becomes even more difficult to steer the
development of PT
- loss of entrepreneurial spirit, mere “administration” of PT
 bigger dependency on budget cuts
- compared to a PT that manages to generate its own costs to a larger
degree
VBB.de
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Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg
GmbH
Hardenbergplatz 2
10623 Berlin
October 26, 2012
7. Reflections
 often a highly ideological debate; some models are referred to as
“success stories” which they are definitely not.
- what is needed is a fact-based, sound approach without prejudices!
- voluntarism does not help!
 need for an overall concept that takes into account not only PT
and its finances but also
-
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other forms of traffic
issues of city development
sustainability
ability to steer quality, quantity, safety, security of PT
legal and constitutional (!) issues
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Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg
GmbH
Hardenbergplatz 2
10623 Berlin
October 26, 2012
Thank you!
Dr. Matthias Stoffregen
Department Head,
Tariff, Sales and Marketing
Telefon: +49 30 25 414 340
Telefax: + 49 30 25 414 315
Hardenbergplatz 2
D - 10623 Berlin
VBB.de
[email protected]
VBB.de
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Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg
GmbH
Hardenbergplatz 2
10623 Berlin
Everything is reachable!