Austrian households save with climate ticket
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In Austria, 1.67 million households now hold at least one annual public transportation pass, known as the Klimaticket.
The ticket launched five years ago, on October 26, 2021, and has grown in popularity. The Verkehrsclub Österreich (VCÖ), an Austrian transport advocacy group, compared the cost of commuting by public transport with driving for several routes in Upper Austria.
They found commuters traveling between Attnang-Puchheim and Linz could save nearly 4,000 euros annually by choosing bus, tram, or train instead of a car. VCÖ expert Klara Maria Schenk stated that these savings represent a substantial addition to monthly income. Households in Upper Austria have purchased around 195,000 annual passes, representing 29 percent of all households in the region. Nationally, 40 percent of Austrian households have an annual public transport pass, with Vienna leading at 75 percent.
A recent survey by VCÖ revealed that 61 percent of rail passengers switched from driving to taking the train in the last year, and 70 percent cited the Klimaticket as a very important reason for making the change. VCÖ is now urging businesses to offer employees tax-advantaged public transport job tickets to further encourage ridership and contribute to climate protection.
