BREMEN/BERLIN (dpa-AFX) – In order to achieve the climate protection goals, the transport ministers believe that the federal government must provide more money for local public transport. Good public transport is undoubtedly an elementary building block in climate protection policy, said the chairwoman of the conference of transport ministers, Bremen’s mobility senator Maike Schaefer (Greens), on Friday according to the announcement. A special transport ministers’ conference is planned for February 23.
“In order to achieve the federal government’s climate goals, we now need a noticeably increased financial commitment from the federal government,” said Schaefer. The federal states are therefore involved with their own programs, but the federal government is solely responsible for financing the federal states adequately for regional rail passenger transport. “If these funds are not increased now, the federal states would have to cancel transport services and put important expansion projects such as additional train stops or more frequent services on hold. What that would mean for climate protection is certainly clear to everyone.”
Referring to a report by the Federal Court of Auditors, which recently recommended a fundamental reform of public transport financing, Schaefer said: Procedures can be questioned and improved, but this is about climate protection. Financing instruments must be accelerated and not slowed down by debate and formalism. According to the senator, the accusation that funds were not used economically is not correct. “Currently, however, the costs are running away from us countries,” said the chair of the conference. “Rising energy prices and, for example, rising wages lead to significantly higher costs in regional rail passenger transport, which can only be covered by improved financial resources from the federal government.”/hho/DP/he
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