- Why there is a ballot vote?
- Which models for a semester ticket have been thought of?
- What were the results of the previous ballot votes?
- What has happened since the introduction of the ticket in the WiSe 2013/2014
- What was the course of the negotiations for the long-term continuation since the SoSe 2017?
- Why and to which extent the price of the ticket has been raised, on which you can ballot vote in November 2016?
- I do not study at the LMU, TUM or the HM. Why can’t I vote?
- I will be abroad during the referendum. Can I still take a vote?
- What will happen after the vote
- Will the negotiations be resumed after a negative vote?
- What are the ticket alternatives if the vote turns out to be negative?
Split-ticket model
- Why has the Semesterticket been introduced as a split model?
- The solidary fee seems to be a party-ticket, but I want to go to university!
Funding and validity
- Why have the fees of Ausbildungstarif been rising in the past years?
- Why doesn’t the solidary fee permit the use of the inner area (Innenraum) at all times?
- Why is the student ticket not valid in whole Bavaria? In North Rhine-Westphalia it is possible!
Rechtliches
- Why are the legal conditions in Munich so special? Who will sign the contract?
- Will there be exemptions from paying the solidary fee?
Why there is a ballot vote? – It’s clear for the student council: A Semesterticket as a solidarity model with extension option( the IsarCard semester) is part of munich and was a huge success from the beginning! The buying rate was last on average over the winter and summer semester at about 75% of students.This ticket was introduced in 2013 starting as a pilot. The city of Munich supported the project politically and financially during the last three years with a cost deficiency guarantee – This support has run out by now. Despite originally stated otherwise , calculations by the transportation companies showed that the semester ticket did not cover the costs it should have in the first place. Therefore the AK mobility, the student union, the Munich transportation companies and the MVV were in price negotiations since spring 2015 for a long-term continuation of the ticket. In the winter semester of 2016/2017 the price was raised from 62.50€ to 65€ as solidarity fee, the extension ( IsarCard semester) raised from 157.60€ 189.00€ on the basis of a positive vote by the parliaments of the student representatives of LMU, TUM and HM as a a provisional arrangement. Therefore, sufficient time for a follow-up to a market study and to prepare the ballot was given. In the ballot vote this price increase is now matched with one final adjustment for the summer term of 2017. Since the mobility and the need for public transport as well as the will to support a solidarity system differs from person to person, we can not take this sensitive decision for you. Thus, we established the ballot vote – you decide! The AK mobility was founded in december 2004 and negotiated the ticket during the past 12 years for you together with the Student Union. The offer therefore brings a vibrant past with it, as you can see in the Following paragraphs.
Which models for a semester ticket have been thought of? – Nearly all the possible versions:
– One component model/ full solidarity model (everyone must pay the same price for this card)
– Two components model/ base model (everyone must pay a ground price. The one who needs more service can purchase an extention option)
– Many other subscription models (like the IsarCard Abo for example) with different temporal and territorial variations.
You can find more accurate informations about the negotiations in the history. The decision was brought to a solidarity model, among other things due to legal grounds.
What were the results of the previous ballot votes? – Here can you find more informations about the failed voting in 2009 and about the succesfull vote that lead to the introduction of the Semesterticket in 2012.
What has happened since the introduction of the ticket in the WiSe 2013/2014? – The ticket was introduced in the winter semester of 2013/2014 for an originally two-year pilot phase for the price of 59.00 € for the obligatory solidary fee (base) and 141.00 € for the IsarCard semester. This was only possible thanks to a guarantee from the state capital Munich for the deficite, which was dependent on the purchase rate. Part of this guarantee was also used to keep the solidarity fee stable in the first year and to allow the prices to rise in part only in the same way as the rest of the tariff system , so that the ticket cost the same in the first year and in the second year 59€ for the base and an extra charge of 146,50 € for the IsarCard semester. With the winter semester of 2015/2016, the pilot phase was extended by one year as a study on the new mobility of students from Munich was commissioned by transport companies in 2015 and a continuation of the semester ticket should take place on the basis of this new version. In this semester, the solidarty fee rose to 61.00 €, the IsarCard semester to 152.00 €, in the following semester the solidarity fee rose to 62.50 €, the IsarCard semester to 157.60 €. With still ongoing negotiations and open positions of both camps, the 2016/2017 student parliaments decided to allow a price increase to 65.00 € for the solidarity feeand 189,00 € for the IsarCard semester for the 2016/17 winter semester. See also: (why a vote?)
What was the course of the negotiations for the long-term continuation since the SoSe 2017? – On our page with “Facts & Figures” (german) you will find a presentation that summarizes the course.
Why and to which extent the price of the ticket has been raised, on which you can ballot vote in November 2016? – During the negotiations (take a look at the previous question too) several reasons have been stated for this: the two main arguments include a “changed student mobility” and furthermore that the decline of “remaining options in the tariff system” had a greater impact than expected in the first place. The main data for the calculation of the price of the ticket was based on a survey conducted by infas which took place in 2007. Here, a changed mobility implies that students use the public transportation to a larger extent than before. The new study which was conducted in 2015 had the main goal to show how many single public transportation “ways” in the mean are undergone by each student. Since this is an important number need for calculation of the acutal price, it was verified by another market research institution, which, in summary, stated that although the way of taking the appropriate sample has been inappropriate and insufficient, the number of ways as such combined with several quantifier factors could be seen as valid. However, the way of taking the sample in the future should be done using the registration number index of the students, if possible. The infas study 2007 showed additionally how many single-fare-/stripe- and day-tickets approximately have been bought by the students until that time. With the semester ticket a decline in the sales of these tickets could be expected. How big the real effect was is very difficult to evaluate, since these tickets are bought anonymously, hence a study is needed. The main argumentation of the transportation companies was that the study 2007 was not precise enough when it comes to this important point. On top of that the solidarity fee remained constant in the first two years of the pilot phase, an effect, which must be considered though. However, the main problem is that with the introduction of the semesterticket there has been the introduction of the gliding validity periods of the weekly and monthly tickets at the same time. When compared, the sales of those tickets hold a fare larger share of the total sales anyway.
I do not study at the LMU, TUM or the HM. Why can’t I vote? – For the calculations of the MVV, only the three big universities in Munich are important. Therefore, the initial vote takes place only at these universities and in case of a positive result, the semester ticket will permanently be introduced at LMU, TUM and HM at first. However, it is possible for all the other universities – given that the Studentenwerk Munich is responsible for them – to conduct a separate referendum on the continuation of the semester ticket. The results of these votes are supposed to be handed to the university presidia and if applicable used to initiate the continuation/remaining of the semester ticket at the respective university.
I will be abroad during the referendum. Can I still take a vote?
The referendum will be proceeded online. So as long as you have a proper internet connection, you will be able to participate without issues. However, you need your Campus- or TUM identifier.
What will happen after the vote? If the voting is positive, i.e. the turnout of voters is more than 25% at every university and more than 50% of the voters vote for yes (simple majority) at all three universities, the ticket will be continued with the negotiated conditions.
At the end of the five-year continuation period, the negotiation partners will presumably meet again in order to negotiate a new continuation. Also the task force Mobility (“AK Mobilität”) will hopefully take part for your followers, if the AK Mobilität will still be legitimated by the Students’ Union.
If the voting fails, i.e. there is a negative vote at least one university, the offer and therefore the semester ticket will be rejected. Therefore, there will be no semester ticket for the Summer Term 2017 and the following terms. It is expected that the negotiations will not be resumed for the next years (see also the following question), if even the participants will continue the negotiations at all. If the minimum turnout of 25% will not be reached at one of the universities, the continuation is eligible. In this case, the vote is not valid and the particular Students’ parliament has to decide how the process will go on. Please use the chance that you can co-decide directly. Except for the defined results depending on the vote for the Summer Term 2017, the future hardly can be forecasted.
Will the negotiations be resumed after a negative vote? – It is nearly excluded, that the negotiations will be resumed in the foreseeable future. The current offer differs already significantly from the price expectations provided by the transport companies. Only after numerous negotiations and massive political pressure it was possible to reach an offer which contains obligingness of both sides. The City of Munich supported us strongly in the negotiations and backed us always with our claim for a affordable ticket. It was only possible to introduce the semester ticket with a guarantee by the City of Munich in 2013. The understandable and legitimate desire for an attractive semester ticket for students in Munich only would be enforceable if the Free State of Bavaria will grant significant higher subsidies according to the subsidization law of public transports for students (§ 45a PBefG ). However, this is a topic which should be discussed on a state level rather than a communal level.
What are the ticket alternatives if the vote turns out to be negative? – The other options include the weekly and monthly tickets in the so called Ausbildungstarif II in terms of a subsciption model and of course the single trip/ stripe tickets. In 2017 the cost for the monthly tickets varries from 40.90€ and 167.20€ per month, depending on how far away you are living from the place of your studies. Please keep in mind that the semester ticket covers the inner and the outer district whereas the Ausbildungstarif II is only valid for the way between your home and university. To evaluate this, please have a look at our fare calculator.
Why has the Semesterticket been introduced as a split model? – A split model, just like the one that has been successfully provided in Stuttgart since 2001, means that ticket costs consist of a mandatory solidary fee and an optional extra charge. In this way a balance is reached between interests of high and low-frequence public transport users without burdening students with high costs just as in comparably sized cities with a full-solidary-model. In Bavaria, as there is no constituted student body (Verfasste Studierendenschaft), the student unions (Studentenwerke) are in charge of semester tickets (refer also to Why are the legal conditions in Munich special? Who will sign the contract?). In order to reduce the liability risk of the students’ unions (Studentenwerke) the Bavarian Ministry for Science only allows solidary fees to be as high as 80 Euros. The price of an one-component model would be significantly higher.
The solidary fee seems to be a party-ticket, but I want to go to university! – First of all, the solidary fee facilitates a reasonable total price. As a compensation you can use the entire MVV network for six months in the evenings and at weekends, for instance to visit university meetings, college sport, cultural or leisure activities in and outside of Munich. A solidary fee would be significantly more expensive than the legal limit of 80 Euros if it was ought to entitle you travelling during main time.
Why have the fees of Ausbildungstarif been rising in the past years? – For transportation of pupils and students transport services are granted subsidies from the federal state following §45a PBefG or §6a AEG resp. state laws. These subsidies have decreased in the past years in all federal states resulting in an extra-ordinary increase of the prices. This process had stopped by the time of the initiation of the Semesterticket. Subsidies are also granted for the Semesterticket by the state. Nevertheless, just like other MVV tickets the Semesterticket is also subject to price changes.
Why doesn’t the solidary fee permit the use of the inner area (Innenraum) at all times? – This idea has been discarded for legal concerns. It wouldn’t be fair for a student who lives outside the inner area having to pay more than others without any use of the solidary fee compensation. Furthermore, a ticket for the inner area (Innenraum) that is valid at any time would cost more than 66,50€ per semester and exceed the solidary fee maximum limit of 80€ in Bavaria. In the current proposal the solidary fee authorises every student to use the MVV network at respective times, which is the only legal way.
Why is the student ticket not valid in whole Bavaria? In North Rhine-Westphalia it is possible! – The statewide validity of student tickets in North Rhine-Westphalia is a result of a yearslong process. After locally valid passes had been introduced in several cities, validity area augmentations were performed city by city. For a semester pass valid in all Bavaria, locally valid passes are the first step. Therefore a Semesterticket for Munich is our primary objective.
Why are the legal conditions in Munich so special? Who will sign the contract? – In Bavaria, there is no constituted student body (Verfasste Studierendenschaft), thus student unions (Studentenwerke) are responsable for student tickets. The contract would be signed by the Munich student union (Studentenwerk München) and the MVV. Signing the agreement the chief executive of the Munich student union (Studentenwerk München) is guided by the students’ interests expressed in the vote. In all other federal states student councils can sign contracts directly, which is not possible in Munich for the lack of a constituted student body (Verfasste Studierendenschaft)
Will there be exemptions from paying the solidary fee? – Handicapped students who already own a MVV pass according to § 9 SGB will be exempted upon application. Students of TUM studying in Straubing or Singapur are exempted automatically, as they cannot use MVV transport services there. For further information contact your university or the student union.