Austria's KlimaTicket
Austria's answer to combat climate change. Available for purchase since the beginning of October, Austria's government has taken a crucial step towards net-zero by 2040.
Austria's answer to combat climate change.
Available for purchase since the beginning of October, Austria's government has taken a crucial step towards net-zero by 2040. The KlimaTicket (literally meaning climate ticket) allows people to use all sorts of public and private transportation in Austria for the annual price of €1,095, which translates to €21 per week or €3 per day.
There is also a reduced fare for people with disabilities and people aged under 26 or above 65 years priced at €821 (€15,8 per week or €2,2 per day). For an annual surcharge of €110 for the family upgrade, ticket holders can take up to four children aged between six and 15 years with them on their journeys. Children under six travel for free.
Furthermore, regional versions of the climate ticket for people who don't plan on traveling across the federal province borders are also planned for a reduced fare in the future.
The KlimaTicket is likely just the beginning.
With public transport now cheaper and more flexible than ever before it is estimated that the demand for quality public transport is going to increase in the next few decades. Many services, like the Westbahn or OEBB, have already begun adding more vehicles and personnel to their fleet to minimize the waiting period between rides and achieve a denser timetable. It is estimated that the ticket has already been sold more than 130.000 times and the number still keeps increasing. With billions of Euros of funding now flowing into this infrastructure segment, the Austrian government will likely keep expanding and improving its transport network and reduce the need for cars, especially in urban areas. Nevertheless, the goal is not just to get more people to use public transport instead of their cars but also net-zero by 2040, and in order to accomplish this milestone, many more additional steps have to be taken.
Sources:
Austria's digital government agency(2021). Climate Ticket.
https://www.oesterreich.gv.at/en/themen/bauen_wohnen_und_umwelt/Klimaticket.html
Wikipedia(2021). Klimaticket. https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Klimaticket&oldid=221573693
Official KlimaTicket Website(2021). Main. FAQ. https://www.klimaticket.at/
CNN(2021). Travel. The $3.50 go-anywhere ticket to fight climate change. https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/austria-klimaticket/index.html