A lack of mobility can result in people experiencing disadvantages in their social participation, such as reduced access to social activities, goods and services and in a higher risk of transport-related social exclusion. Even with a transport infrastructure that enables people to reach places of daily life, the journey there must also be affordable. In the European Union, households with children, especially single parents, have a higher risk of being affected by or threatened with financial poverty and thus being restricted in their mobility and participation. 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) to use local and regional public transport for 9 euros per person per month. This measure completely changed the conditions of public transport use. Therefore, I conducted qualitative interviews with low-income parents to investigate the impact of this ticket on their travel practices and social participation. The results show that the 9-Euro-Ticket removed the financial constraint to public transport use and increased social participation. The interviewees report that due to the 9-Euro-Ticket leisure trips in the Hannover Region, but also further away were possible and that travelling with the whole family became affordable. Additionally, more money could be spent on children, e.g. for school supplies, toys and groceries. Moreover, the ticket promoted women’s independence, integration and children’s mobility. The increased use of public transport with the 9-Euro-Ticket and the reduced use without it prove that there is a suppressed demand for more public transport use due to financial poverty. This study demonstrates that a sharp, drastic fare reduction is an effective way to enable low-income households with children to access the public transport system and thus increase their social participation.
Caroline Rozynek
Goethe University Frankfurt/Main
ID Abstract: 136