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Millions snap up new Germany-wide public transit ticket

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Re: Millions snap up new Germany-wide public transit ticket

#331

Post by woodpanel »

panick21_ wrote: post #205
woodpanel wrote: post #60

As some comments here mention uncomfortable means of buying tickets across German transportation systems: I’ve been working on multiple software projects that tried to solve it and I can tell you that the reason is not sinister but rather that each system is funded locally. Which means it is subsidized locally and the need to cross those boundaries was always a luxury issue (by people like us - the E-Mail caste). Eve…

Its kind of ridiculous to call it a luxury issue. Its a luxury issue if you make it one. In Switzerland 85 year old grandmothers travel between cities to go for light walks. 15 year olds go to football tournaments in other cities. Claiming that only some elite cast of digital nomads profits from it is utterly ridiculous. In Switzerland city to city travel is more common with trains then with cars, and a huge part of…

Switzerland is barely a ninth of Germany‘s size in square meters and population. Plus, the whole German Intercity Rail System‘s north south axis goes through 2 choke points: Frankfurt and northern Bavaria.

Re: Millions snap up new Germany-wide public transit ticket

#332

Post by Gud »

Maarten88 wrote: post #236
riedel wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree that vending machines are really a mess. However I recommend the Deutsche Bahn Navigator App. If you have an account you can easily get most tickets. Also states like Baden-Württemberg got their act together recently and made it possible to book tickets all way through. I recently was in Netherlands trying to get from the Hague to the islands south of Rotterdam and it was also quite confusing. but the new tic…

> I recently was in Netherlands trying to get from the Hague to the islands south of Rotterdam and it was also quite confusing. You can just swipe your phone (Apple Pay / Google Wallet) or credit/debit card to check in and out (do not forget to check out!) and you're done. Works for all public transport in the Netherlands. Of course there are also more traditional ways to pay for your ticket, but it does not get much…

Doesn’t work in Rotterdam last I tried(October last year)

Re: Millions snap up new Germany-wide public transit ticket

#334

Post by thecopy »

EngManagerIsMe wrote: post #328
lispm wrote: post #326

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> entering a bus or train requires a turnstile, tap, or other impediment that slows access In Hamburg, where I live, there is nothing like that.

Hamburg's busses don't have coin boxes or sell tickets/fares? You don't have any mechanism that requires swiping a card, tapping a device, showing a card/ticket to an operator, or otherwise proving you have, in fact, purchased a fare? In Seattle, we tap our cards on something that looks like this: https://seattletransitblog.com/2011/06/28/dont-tap-orca-here... It's pretty quick, but on the busiest bus routes it slows…

In Switzerland there are no gates or a need for "showing a card/ticket to an operator, or otherwise proving you have, in fact, purchased a fare".

You just enter the bus/train/tram vehicle. Maybe a ticket controllant comes, maybe not (most often they dont come and check)

EDIT: To get a ticket you simple open the app and "check in". When you leave the transport you open the app and "check out". At the end of the day the system calculated the cheapest ticket for you based on that 24h period. This works across the entire country. From local buses to high speed intercity rail

Re: Millions snap up new Germany-wide public transit ticket

#335

Post by snvzz »

lispm wrote: post #327
snvzz wrote: post #267

Public, thus paid by everybody through taxes. Yet, for some reason, it can only be taken advantage of by people who can afford to pay the ticket. Nevermind the fact having the ticket system in the first place does cost money.

For people who can't afford the ticket, there can be special prices. For example in my hometown, people with low-income pay less. Kids from low-income families pay nothing.

That'd be specially wrong, as high income already pay more taxes, which more strongly fund this transport system.

Re: Millions snap up new Germany-wide public transit ticket

#336

Post by woodpanel »

Dylan16807 wrote: post #270
woodpanel wrote: post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where did I write „tech-people“? Yes, all tech people are part of the E-Mail-Caste, but not all of said Caste are techies.

Basically everyone uses email, and you said "people like us", so the poor communication here is on your end. Please elaborate if you want to be understood.

Fair point, I thought this term is more known, but then myself had a hard time to Google it In response to the criticism. But I think this might be a good start:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33521917

Re: Millions snap up new Germany-wide public transit ticket

#337

Post by raffraffraff »

wpietri wrote: post #178
TulliusCicero wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly. The new ticket is an excellent example of when national government can be superior to more local government: when the national government forces coordination to solve fragmentation problems, where local agencies lacked the... motivation to solve things on their own. On a technical level, it was always possible for different transit agencies to cooperate to simplify things for consumers, but they didn't, and…

Which reminds me to give a shout-out to the Clipper card. The SF Bay Area really did the right thing here. 24 different systems, all of which use the same card: https://www.clippercard.com/ClipperWeb/where-to-use.html And they have now expanded that card-based system to include a mobile app, Google Pay, and Apple Pay, so now I just tap my phone and I'm all set.

Ireland is getting there, with the Leap card. It works on city rail / trams and most buses including those run by private firms, operating expenses routes to major towns. Unfortunately our major rail lines don't accept it :( but that may be due to the need to provide seat bookings.

Re: Millions snap up new Germany-wide public transit ticket

#338

Post by worklaptopacct »

rcme wrote: post #141
patall wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is complex about the B/C border? That Hönow is B? Because else, it is literary the federal state border. A/B is the S-Bahn-Ring. Sure, three zones are not super simple and where zone C ends is somewhat arbitrary. But aside from that, it's the most logical and simple solution possible.

Generally, I agree, it isn't very complicated to understand. But, it's very easy to forget to buy a C ticket if you're used to hopping on the U-bahn with your monthly AB ticket.

An airport being outside of city limits has its historical reason (the Allies have agreed that the entire area of Berlin could only be served by airlines operated by one of the four occupational forces, so East Germany simply built an airport just beyond city limits so that they could serve Berlin with its domestic airline). But an airport being just outside of the "regular" fare zone is something that's unfortunately not unusual.

Re: Millions snap up new Germany-wide public transit ticket

#339

Post by sph »

zenlot wrote: post #69

Welcome to UK, where 40-55mins trains from neighbouring cities to London costs 50-110£ for a return journey and 6k+ for a yearly ticket. We apologize for a delay in your journey, this is due to staff shortage.

Imagine my surprise coming from Italy, where our trains are famously dirty and late, and taking my first train in the UK.

Trains are cleaner and somewhat less delayed, but bloody hell, they are not worth the price. For £110 I reckon you can go Milan–Naples (800 km, 4h30) in high speed 1st class train, which do not even exist in Britain.

The wonders of privatisation, innit?

Re: Millions snap up new Germany-wide public transit ticket

#340

Post by camillomiller »

mqus wrote: post #252
camillomiller wrote: post #66

Berlin reporting: this is huge for anyone taking public transport. Monthly ticket for the AB area alone was way above 80/€/month for the city only. This is 49 for everything anywhere in Germany except for high speed long distance trains, flixbuses and flixtrains (the latter are private entities)

I thought the ticket was more like 63 Euros per Month, when paid yearly

That's for AB (66,90). But you have to compare it to the ABC yearly "Abo", as you will have access to all areas. That's 88€ per month if you pay the 1056 lump sum for the yearly version. Over 100€ if you pay monthly.
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