BVG: In Berlin, cash payments on the bus will soon be possible again

Germans prefer to pay cash. Berlin’s public transport operators have to admit this, too, and are reintroducing cash payments on buses after around three years. From mid-January 2023, it will once again be possible to pay in cash on BVG buses in Berlin.

BVG: Cash payment on Berlin buses possible again

For a long time, the Berlin public transport company (BVG) had resisted paying for tickets with cash. Without success, because as company spokesman Jannes Schwentu tells the Berliner Zeitung on request, BVG will resume cash sales inside the buses on January 16, 2023, in addition to contactless ticket sales.

Voluntarily one decided however not for it, as the BVG makes clear further. Rather, it is responding to pressure from the red-green-red coalition and the passenger association IGEB. In the wake of the spread of the Corona pandemic, BVG had dispensed with cash payments, partly to protect employees from infection.

“To protect employees from infections, BVG has relied exclusively on contactless and thus cashless ticket sales in its buses since Corona. However, the responsible Senate Department for the Environment, Mobility, Consumer and Climate Protection has now decided that a ticket purchase on the bus must also be possible with cash,” explained BVG spokesman Schwentu.

With ver.di this step comes besides at all not well at. On Facebook, Matthias Templin, spokesman for the district and state specialist group for buses and trains, writes: “I urge you to reconsider these measures and consult with VBB to possibly come to a different decision,” to Economics Senator Stephan Schwarz.

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Conversion takes place faster than planned

Since June 2021, ticket sales inside Berlin buses was possible again. However, only with the help of contactless means of payment such as EC and credit cards. BVG credit cards, which are offered at the company’s customer centers, agencies and around 500 lottery sales outlets, have also been accepted again since then – but cash payments have not.

However, this will now change on January 16, 2023, and thus much earlier than originally planned. Initially, it was planned that the changeover to cash payments would take place in the second quarter of 2023, because staff would first have to be trained and the technology adapted accordingly. Now it is apparently happening much faster than planned.