Vienna is pulling the ripcord: more expensive annual tickets and parking!

Vienna is pulling the ripcord: more expensive annual tickets and parking!

In the Austrian capital Vienna, there are some changes to public transport tariffs and parking fees. The city administration is planning to increase the cost of the 365 euro annual ticket for the Wiener Linien and adjust parking fees. Finance City Councilor Barbara Novak from the SPÖ informed that these measures are necessary to meet the financial challenges of the city, which is struggling with a mountain of debt of almost 12 billion euros. Details on the exact amount of the increases are expected to be announced over the summer. This reports Today.

In order to ensure sustainable mobility in the city, Novak is also thinking about a “massive” increase in the local tax for tourists. However, she emphasized that in addition to these changes, a solution should be found for day tourists in bus transport without incurring fees like in Venice. “There is something going on,” a city spokesman is quoted as saying. The city also expects higher payouts from municipal companies such as municipal utilities, which should partially fill the hole in the coffers.

Public transport as a lifeline

Public transport is not just a necessity in Vienna, but a central factor in the quality of life of the population. Statistics show that around 931.2 million passengers used the Wiener Linien in 2014 - an increase of 35.4% since 1995. For the 1.8 million people of Vienna, this means that on average each resident generates over 518 passengers per year. For comparison: in Graz there were 400 passengers per resident and in Munich 403. Greater investments in the transport sector have led to the share of public transport in the modal split increasing from 34% in 2002 to 39% in 2014, reflecting the boom in urban transport, such as Vienna1x1 explained.

Investments in public transport include not only different types of vehicles, but also extensive infrastructure projects. Since 2002, the subway network has grown by 18 stations and 18 kilometers, and barrier-free vehicles now make up over 50% of the tram and bus fleet.

Financial support and challenges

The financing of public transport in Vienna will continue to require a solid foundation in the future. The current financing agreement, which was signed in 2017 for 15 years, regulates the payments between the City of Vienna and Wiener Linien as well as their obligations. Around 60% of the operating costs are generated by Wiener Linien itself, while the rest is borne by the City of Vienna. For the city, this is an equilibrio that would lead to significant increases in ticket prices without financial support.

Although the city faces some challenges, the subway expansion remains unaffected by these cost-cutting measures for the time being and will continue as planned. In this context, Novak also criticized the federal government for the declining income from federal taxes, which are expected to be around 500 million euros lower in 2024. Here she is demanding a “counter-financing obligation” for measures such as the abolition of cold progression in order to relieve the city’s financial burden.

The upcoming price increases could become a big issue for many Viennese. It remains to be hoped that the city administration will find a balanced solution that meets both the needs of the population and the financial challenges.