Greenpeace, an environmental protection organization, has criticized the cost of public transportation in many European countries, stating that it is too expensive to convince people to switch from using cars.
Germany landed in fourth place in a country ranking drawn up by the organization itself, mainly due to the recently introduced Deutschlandticket for 49 euros a month. "The Deutschlandticket is far from perfect, but it finally puts buses and trains where they belong: at the heart of sustainable mobility," said Marissa Reiserer, mobility expert at Greenpeace.
For the ranking, Greenpeace looked closely at public transport in 30 countries and their capitals. It assessed whether there are nationwide monthly or annual tickets for all or almost all modes of public transport, what they cost, whether discounts are allowed for socially disadvantaged people, and how high the VAT on tickets is. However, aspects such as the timing of bus and train lines or operating hours were not considered.
Luxembourg and Malta topped the ranking, with free public transport in both countries. In Malta, according to the ranking, only tickets for express buses and a ferry are chargeable.
Austria came in third place with the so-called climate ticket introduced in 2021. France, Italy, Norway, Romania, Greece, Croatia, and Bulgaria, among others, performed poorly.