Digital ticket obligation: Why your battery is now important!

Digital ticket obligation: Why your battery is now important!

Deutschland, Deutschland - Number of travelers who use digital tickets on their cell phones are steadily increasing, while the sale of paper and plastic tickets is increasingly restricted. LoudTravel reporterImportant tickets such as the Germany ticket have been offered exclusively in digital form since January 1, 2024. In June 2023, the introduction of the purely digital BahnCard 25 and BahnCard 50 was heralded the end of the physical cards.

With increasing digitization, the question of accessibility and availability arises for all travelers. Especially in the case of a defect on the smartphone or an empty battery, travelers can get into trouble. In these cases, one is quickly considered to travel if no valid ticket can be shown. If you cannot do this, you are obliged to acquire a valid ticket before starting travel, otherwise there will be a "check -up" or a "fare revenue" of 60 euros.

Recommendations for travelers

In order to prevent problems with controls, it is advisable to charge the cell phone in good time and to carry a power bank or a charging cable. Screenshots of tickets are officially invalid, but they can be helpful as proof of passenger travelers. Travelers who incorrectly drive without a valid ticket can subsequently show the ticket within a week and receive a refund, but must pay a processing fee of 7 euros.

The Pro Bahn passenger association criticizes the so -called "smartphone compulsion" in public transport. The demand for digital solutions that are independent of the availability of an end device is loudTime onlineAlways louder. Consumer advice centers warn that the exclusive digital sale of tickets and train cards could create new barriers for travelers.

Criticism of digitization

Ramona Pop from the Bundesverband Consumer Center emphasizes that digitization should improve mobility without creating new hurdles. The claim paper, which came to the public, focuses on the analog availability of savings prices and the protection of customer data. Older people in particular who use the Internet less often could be disadvantaged by the exclusively digital provision of tickets. Only about one in three over 80 years is online, and a Forsa survey shows that 65% of the respondents think it is important to continue to be able to purchase tickets at the machine or switch.

Nevertheless, Deutsche Bahn announces that 90% of long-distance transport and 78% of local transport tickets are now being sold digitally. Despite the concerns about data protection and the dependency of technology, digital tickets have become majority. The criticism of the data collection by companies and the demand for a consumer advisory board arrange the dialogue via a balanced system of digital and analogous ticket availability in the mobility landscape.