The Potential for Public Transportation in Germany

A week of recent strikes among German transport workers has culminated in an unlikely collaboration with the environmentalist ‘Fridays for Future’ (FFF) movement this Friday, March 1st. The joint protests are a collaboration between FFF and Verdi, the country’s transport workers union and one of the largest of its kind in Europe. The recent strike comes on the heels of protest actions which have continued throughout the beginning of 2024.

In Germany, the Verdi union represents over 90,000 transport workers across the air, rail, and ground transport industries, with strikes set to occur throughout the country in 130 municipalities. Striking workers hope to secure better pay, time off, and an expansion of public transportation services to deal with increases in demand in future years. Their collaboration with the Fridays for Future movement is intended to promote the expansion of public transport and the environmental benefits it will bring to Germany.

If these protests are successful, not only would the transportation workers’ union benefit from improved working conditions, but Germany as a whole will benefit from increased public transportation and a lower environmental impact. Transportation reforms undertaken earlier, in 2022, suggest some of the benefits which may come from an increase in support for public transport. In the spring of 2022, Germany instituted the ‘9-Euro Ticket’ for public transportation across the country, on both local and regional transportation networks. The initiative was estimated to save the same amount of CO2 emissions in 3 months as larger transportation reforms would over the course of 12 months. After a short period of the ‘9-Euro Ticket’, Germany instituted a long-term ticket priced at 49€. The government hopes that this initiative will continue to promote the use of public transport.

So, support for public transport has historically provided environmental benefits to Germany. If the combined efforts of the Verdi union and the Fridays for Future environmental movement succeed, Germany could reform transportation not only in support of their transportation workers, but also in support of their environmental goals. By expanding public transport networks, supporting transportation workers and infrastructure, and promoting public transportation to citizens, increased travel on public transportation could be widely beneficial.