Cashless bus traffic in Erfurt: Future vision or real hurdle?

Cashless bus traffic in Erfurt: Future vision or real hurdle?

In a significant step towards digitization of local transport, from 2025 in the Erfurt bus network of the Gesellschaft für Verkehrsbetrieb, better known as EVAG, will be switched to cashless payments. This means that passengers can only purchase their tickets by card or on other cashless payment methods. This decision is part of a comprehensive modernization strategy that aims to make local public transport more efficient. The EVAG spokesman emphasizes that cash payments will remain possible on ticket machines and in the city's service points.

Despite these positive intentions, opinions on the planned measure are split. While some citizens advocate progress, others are skeptical. The older generation in particular faces challenges when it comes to getting used to new payment methods. A reader comments on Facebook and describes the changeover as "snotty", which illustrates the dissatisfaction of many people with the new regulation.

problematic for seniors and children

Particular attention is paid to the concerns of older people and families with children. A frequently expressed concern concerns access to the ticket machines, which are often only sporadically distributed at the stops and usually do not accept any notes. Commentators complain that the machine can only be found at about every second or third stop. This shortage of possibilities could make it considerably more difficult to use public transport.

Families with children are also concerned. "What do the children who need and want to pay for and want to pay? Do they have to drive up because they may have forgotten the ticket or the monthly ticket?" Asks a concerned parent. The worry that spontaneous trips on the bus without cash become significantly more complicated is particularly important for students who may not yet have their own card or have no smartphones for app payments.

The discussion about the cash abolition in Erfurt local transport shows how technologization and the associated modernization can affect existing needs of different population groups. It remains to be seen to what extent these new regulations are accepted in practice and whether EVAG is responding to the concerns expressed. At a time when digitization is promoted in many areas of life, the path to a comfortable public transport is full of challenges and opportunities.

The topic and its effects on the different age groups and economic layers lead to intensive discussions among the Erfurt. Opinion formation is crucial because EVAG also strives to adapt public transport to the needs of all citizens. However, the challenges associated with such a step remain a central topic for the future of local transport in Thuringia.

More information on the planned changes in Erfurt local transport and the associated reactions can be found in a current article on www.thueringen24.de .