New student Germany ticket: Mobility for everyone in the district!

New student Germany ticket: Mobility for everyone in the district!

In the district of Schmalkalden-Meiningen, a lot is happening in terms of mobility for our students. In the coming school year 2025/2026, the region is introducing a new student Germany ticket, which is intended for students in grades 1 to 13 and offers them more flexibility when traveling. This ticket is offered to all learners with the main residence in the district, regardless of whether they have so far been entitled to a student transport. So one enables more uncomplicated mobility for the youth, this reports Rhönkanal .

The price is regular at 58 euros per month, but from August 1, 2025, parents can get the ticket from Meininger Busbetrieb (MBB) for only 40 euros per month. Here the district still puts its own grant of 18 euros on it, which makes the ticket much more attractive for the families. The new offer should not only strengthen mobility in rural areas, but also stabilize the economic situation of the MBB.

Change to a new ticket structure

The student-Germany ticket partially replaces the previous reimbursement procedure for school transport. In a transition phase that applies by school year 2025/2026, students in classes 1 to 10 can fall back on their regular student annual card, but have the option of using the new ticket. From the school year 2026/2027, the student Germany ticket will then become a fixed option and the student annual card is eliminated in the event of corresponding applications.

Particularly gratifying: Students in grades 11 to 13 will no longer have to make applications for reimbursement in the future as long as they use the new ticket. This makes the bureaucracy easier and faster, which will certainly make some parents easier. For pupils without entitlement to funding, there is also the possibility to use the ticket cheaply, everything without a long application procedure.

The challenge of mobility in rural areas should not be underestimated. Many students have to cover long distances, often local public transport (public transport) is unattractive because there is a lack of adequate connections. According to bpb , a large part of the daily trips in rural regions are still done by car. In order to make a change here, innovative mobility solutions must be implemented that strengthen public transport and reduce the use of the car. Ideas such as autonomous driving and new car sharing models could play a crucial role.

The introduction of student Germany ticket is a step in the right direction. It should not only improve the mobility of the students, but also help to reduce the CO2 footprint in rural areas and to relieve the environment. Our goal must be to create new, attractive mobility offers that meet the needs of the residents and at the same time reduce the pressure on the traffic infrastructure.

For more information about the new ticket offers, interested parties can visit the websites MBB and Landratsamt Schmalkalden-Meiningen . There is a lot to discover and experience, and the new possibilities make our region a bit more livable!