Vienna pulls the ripcord: more expensive for the annual ticket and parking!
Vienna pulls the ripcord: more expensive for the annual ticket and parking!
In the Austrian capital Vienna, there are some changes in the tariffs for public transport and parking fees. The city administration plans to increase the costs for the 365-euro annual ticket from the Viennese lines and to adjust the parking fees. Finance City Councilor Barbara Novak from the SPÖ informed that these measures are necessary to counter the city's financial challenges, which has to deal with a debt mountain of almost 12 billion euros. The details on the exact amount of the increases should be announced in the course of the summer. This reports .
In order to ensure sustainable mobility in the city, Novak also thinks of a “massive” increase in the local tax for tourists. However, she emphasized that in addition to these changes, a solution for day tourists in bus traffic should be found without fees like Venice. "There is something," a city spokesman is quoted. The city also expects higher distributions from urban companies such as the municipal utilities, which should partially stuff the hole in the cash register.
public traffic as a lifeline
Public transport in Vienna is not just a necessity, but a central factor for the quality of life of the population. Statistics show that around 931.2 million passengers used Viennese lines in 2014 - an increase of 35.4% since 1995. For the 1.8 million Viennese, this means that an average of every inhabitant generates over 518 passengers per year. For comparison: In Graz there were 400 passengers per inhabitant and in Munich 403. Larger investments in the traffic sector have led to the fact that the share of public transport in the Modal Split in 2002 rose to 39% in 2014, which reflects the boom in urban traffic, such as Wien1x1 explained.
Investments in public transport not only include various vehicle types, but also extensive infrastructure projects. The subway network has grown by 18 stations and 18 kilometers since 2002, and barrier-free vehicles now make up over 50% of the tram and bus fleet.
Financial subsidies and challenges
Financing public transport in Vienna will continue to need a solid basis in the future. The current financing contract, which was signed for 15 years in 2017, regulates payments between the city of Vienna and the Vienna lines and its obligations. Around 60% of the operating costs are generated by the Viennese lines themselves, while the rest of the city of Vienna is borne. For the city, this is an equilibrio that would lead to significant increases in ticket prices without financial support.
The city faces a few challenges, but the subway expansion remains unaffected by these austerity measures and is continued as planned. In this context, Novak also criticized the federal government for the falling income from federal taxes, which should be around 500 million euros lower in 2024. Here she demands a "counter -financing obligation" for measures such as the abolition of the cold progression to relieve the city financially.
The upcoming price increases could be a big topic 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.
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Ort | Wien, Österreich |
| Quellen | |