MOBICOR survey in Hesse: Every second journey without a car

Public transportation such as buses and trains in Hesse have left the Corona pandemic behind, the car is being used less, and the 9-euro ticket was primarily purchased because of its simplicity: these are the key findings of the MOBICOR study, for which around 1,300 Hessians provided information about their mobility behavior.

"This shows that we are on the right track with our transport policy. The citizens want the offer of sustainable mobility - and we are doing everything we can to ensure that they get it," explained Minister of Economic Affairs and Transport, Tarek Al-Wazir.

As the study determined, the proportion of buses and trains on daily routes in Hesse in autumn 2022 reached pre-Corona levels (13 percent), while car usage dropped to less than half of daily routes (49 percent). Overall, both the number of journeys made and their total length - traffic performance - decreased compared to the previous year, which the study attributes, among other things, to the trend towards home office. Thirty-two percent of respondents stated that they worked from home on certain days, and the majority expect this to continue in the future. The survey placed a special emphasis on experiences with the 9-euro ticket. It found that in urban regions, 53 percent of respondents had purchased the ticket at least once, compared to just 37 percent in rural areas. It was also used more frequently in urban areas. Overall, it led to higher passenger numbers in buses and trains in both urban and rural regions.

9-Euro Ticket as a Transition Booster

The most important reason for purchasing it, besides the price, was simplicity. Seventy-three percent of people with a 9-euro ticket used buses and trains more frequently, some of them for the first time in their lives or after a long break. Four out of five respondents (78 percent) agreed that the long-term success of the 9-euro ticket would depend on expanding public transportation. Minister Al-Wazir pointed out that Hesse would have a record sum of 2.77 billion euros available for public transport this year and next.

"This also ensures the financing of the Germany ticket, which will allow free travel on buses and trains across Germany starting in May, continuing the simplicity of the 9-euro ticket, and whose pre-sale began last week. From August, there will be a discounted variant called 'Hessenpass mobil' for people with no or very low income. The Germany ticket is an enormous opportunity for the transformation towards climate-friendly mobility, and we want everyone to be able to join in," says Al-Wazir.