A €49 transport ticket valid throughout Germany is to be introduced on May 1, Olaf Scholz's government decided on Wednesday.

The Cabinet approved a draft law by Transport Minister Volker Wissing from the business-friendly Free Democrats, according to which the Deutschlandticket will start on May 1 and be available as a monthly subscription. As agreed with German regions a week earlier, the ticket will be valid on most means of public transport, apart from long-distance trains and long-distance buses.

“We now want to get the legislative process underway quickly,” Wissing said in a video on social media. In addition to the German parliament and the Bundesrat, Germany’s upper house, the European Commission must also approve the draft law.

Implementation of the ticket will be the responsibility of Germany's regions. The successor to last summer's popular €9 ticket was originally supposed to be introduced more quickly.

But for months, the federal and regional governments argued about organization and financing. The compromise now adopted foresees that Berlin will provide the regions with €1.5 billion a year through 2025 and additional regional funds. The regions, in turn, will also contribute €1.5 billion.

However, higher introduction costs are expected, which the federal and regional governments want to share in the first year and evaluate in subsequent years.

Sales, for an “introductory price” of €49 a month, will begin on April 3. Existing monthly subscriptions or commuter tickets for employees will also cost €49.