Imagine the financial barrier to public transport use disappears. The impact of the 9-Euro-Ticket on the mobility and social participation of low-income households with children

From June to August 2022, the financial barrier to public transport use almost completely disappeared in Germany due to the 9-Euro-Ticket. It enabled anyone with access to public transport infrastructure across Germany to use public transport for 9 euros per person per month. As this completely changed the conditions for public transport use, especially for low-income households with children, the following research questions arise: (1) what effect does the 9-Euro-Ticket have on the travel practices and social participation of low-income households with children? (2) how and by what were the travel practices shaped by the 9-Euro-Ticket? and (3) what happened to the interviewees’ travel practices after the measure expired? To answer these questions, twelve qualitative interviews were conducted with low-income households with children in the Hanover region.This study found that the 9-Euro-Ticket removed the financial constraint of public transport use, changed the travel practices of most interviewees and had a wide range of positive meanings. The respondents associate the 9-Euro-Ticket with freedom, joy at being able to offer their children something, along with financial and psychological relief. Additionally, the 9-Euro-Ticket enabled the interviewees to engage in leisure activities, to visit relatives, contributed to integration, had an empowering effect, especially for women and children, and thus represents a measure to increase social participation. After the three months of the 9-Euro-Ticket, financing public transport use challenges low-income households again and financial constraints prevent them from reaching certain places and engaging in out-of-home activities.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2024.02.003
• Record URL:
  • http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967070X24000386
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/29485010
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © 2024 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Abstract reprinted with permission of Elsevier.
• Authors:
  • Rozynek, Caroline
  • 0000-0002-9407-6975
• Publication Date: 2024-4

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 80-90
• Serial:
  • Transport Policy
  • Volume: 149
  • Issue Number: 0
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0967-070X
  • Serial URL: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/issn/096707X

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Children; Discount fares; Females; Households; Low income groups; Mobility; Public transit; Social benefits; Transportation disadvantaged persons
• Geographic Terms: Europe
• Subject Areas: Finance; Public Transportation; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01908037
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 14 2024 9:15AM