Anyone who gives up their driver's license and no longer drives a car will now be rewarded: cities and municipalities in North Rhine-Westphalia are offering free bus or train rides or a free Deutschlandticket for one year.

Several cities in North Rhine-Westphalia are already offering the exchange – for everyone who has a driver's license, and especially for older people. The reason: Environmental protection and road safety should be promoted, German media write.

Where can a driver's license be exchanged for a ticket?

Dortmund: The municipal utilities want greater climate protection and are offering a free Deutschlandticket to residents whose driver's license is marked as invalid at the citizens' office. But only for two months. Around 100 people have already exchanged their licenses in 2024.

Bonn: If you are at least 60 years old and hand in your driver's license at the municipal utility office, you will receive an “Active 60” ticket for the city area or, alternatively, a Deutschlandticket – valid for 6 months.

As the city says, the offer has been very well received. In June alone, 29 “Active 60” tickets and 65 Deutschlandtickets were issued.

Kleve: In the district, you can even get a Deutschlandticket for a whole year if you hand in your driver's license. Since February, more than 200 drivers have accepted the offer and switched to public transport. Most are women and older than 65.

Oberbergischer Kreis: The driver's license exchange campaign is available here for people aged 60 and over – they receive a Deutschlandticket for one year.

Rhein-Erft district: The project starts in September: Anyone over 60 who gives up their driver's license can travel free of charge with a Deutschlandticket for six months.

In Leverkusen older people over the age of 75 can exchange their driver's license for a free Deutschlandticket for one year. The campaign was already held in 2023, and since then 572 driver's licenses have been handed in.

Price increase of the popular ticket

The Deutschlandticket, better known as the 49-euro monthly ticket for local public transport, was introduced on May 1, 2023. It is available only as a monthly subscription. The successor offer to the time-limited 9-euro ticket from 2022, which was intended as permanent, was introduced on May 1, 2023.

The federal and state governments are participating in the financing until 2025 and will each contribute 1.5 billion euros annually to compensate transport companies for losses. Reportedly, the ticket could cost 59 euros in the future.

Source: fenix-magazin.de