Info about the semester ticket for the summer semester 2023
tl;dr
- Retention of the semester ticket in the summer semester 2023
Obligatory solidarity contribution of 77,40€ (travel authorization 6-6 p.m. as well as on weekends), voluntary purchase of the IsarCard Semester - Retention necessary due to the unclear start date of the Deutschlandticket
- Upgrade solution of the Semesterticket to the Deutschlandticket in progress
Dear students
in this mail we would like to inform you why the semester ticket will continue to be offered in the summer semester 2023 and why the unclear start date of the Deutschlandticket prevented an originally planned suspension of the semester ticket.
As AK Mobilität, we worked last year on a suspension of the Semesterticket from the summer semester 2023. This was done against the background that the Deutschlandticket is to be introduced next year with a monthly cost of 49€ and a nationwide validity in public transport and regional transport. This leads to the fact that the students in Munich with 302€ for the semester ticket (Solidarbeitrag + IsarCard Semester) compared to 6 months in the Deutschlandticket (6 x 49€ = 294€) have to spend more money at the same time much less service (only MVV area instead of Germany-wide validity). In order to avoid this disadvantage, we worked together with the Munich Student Union and the Munich Transport and Tariff Association (MVV) on a suspension of the semester ticket. This was originally supposed to take effect from the summer semester of 2023, which would eliminate the mandatory payment of the solidarity contribution of €77.40 for each student as part of their re-registration and allow them to purchase the Deutschlandticket depending on their mobility needs.
Uncertain start date of the Deutschlandticket
Unfortunately, there is still no certain start date for the Deutschlandticket. Currently, the most likely start date seems to be April 1, 2023, but this date cannot be guaranteed. While the financing of the Deutschlandticket was finally clarified by the last Minister Presidents’ Conference at the end of November, the necessary legislation, among other things, has not yet been finalized and a competition law review by the EU is still pending. These are factors that lie far outside the responsibility of the Munich Transport and Tariff Association, so that it can neither predict nor prevent corresponding delays. In discussions with official contacts at the transportation companies, we have already been told that they now consider May 1 to be a more realistic start date.
Bridging option with the education tariff II (AT II)
In the case of a delayed start, the only alternative would be to use the Ausbildungstarif II (AT II), which costs between €47.40 and €182.00 per month, depending on the place of study and residence. You can see the price scale under the following link: https://www.mvv-muenchen.de/ticketshop-preise/zeitkarten-abos/ausbildungstarif/index.html.
These high costs mean an enormous financial risk for a large part of our students, which we cannot justify.
Retention of the semester ticket for the summer semester 2023
The decision on whether or not to suspend the semester ticket unfortunately had to be made before Christmas due to the universities’ re-registration deadlines, which is why, in consultation with the Munich Student Union and the universities, we have decided to retain the semester ticket for the summer semester of 2023 under conditions that remain very uncertain. At the same time, we are in negotiations with the MVV and are working to ensure that a transition from the Semesterticket to the Deutschlandticket (with its nationwide validity) will be possible, taking into account in particular the solidarity contribution already paid.
As the start date of the €49 ticket is still unknown at the moment, we advise you not to buy the IsarCard Semester too early. Only in the course of spring will it become clear whether and for which mobility preferences the Semesterticket is a reasonable option.
We know that this situation is not ideal, and yet we believe that we, as a solidary student community, should take the risk of many together and hope for your understanding.
If you have any questions, you can reach us at info@semesterticket-muenchen.de. Of course we will keep you informed about all developments concerning the semester ticket on our website https://www.semesterticket-muenchen.de.
Best regards
Your student representatives & the AK Mobilität