Economically provided bus and train passes for school athletic events - is this a beneficial move?
In many German states, public transport associations are offering free practice tickets for school children to help them familiarize themselves with their daily school commute routes before the school year begins. This initiative aims to reduce stress and ensure that children learn the schedule, connections, and stops in a stress-free manner.
In Bavaria (Bayern), regional transport authorities often provide free "Probefahrten" (trial rides) for school children during the summer or a few weeks before school starts. These tickets are usually issued by local transport associations, such as the MVV in Munich, and are valid on the standard school routes.
Similarly, in Baden-Württemberg, transport companies like VVS in Stuttgart also offer free practice tickets. They work closely with schools and parents to make sure children can practice the route safely and with adult supervision if needed.
In Hamburg, the Hamburger Verkehrsverbund (HVV) typically offers free trial tickets or allows children to travel free on school buses or public transit during a designated practice period. This is often organized in cooperation with schools and includes safety briefings or orientation sessions.
Unfortunately, public transport associations in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), such as Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (VRR) and Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Sieg (VRS), do not offer free practice tickets for school routes. However, children under six years old can travel for free when accompanied by an adult on public transport in NRW.
The city of Aachen offers an 'Entdecker-Freitag' (Explorer Friday) ticket for children transitioning to secondary school to practice their school route. This ticket is not a free practice ticket but a reduced-price ticket designed to help children get accustomed to their new school commute.
Around 37% of primary school students and 60% of secondary school students in Germany regularly use public transportation for their school trips. The Federal Parents' Association has renewed the demand that children should be able to use public transportation for free until the age of 14. Jürgen Eichel, spokesperson for the VCD state association, states that free public transportation access for children up to 14 years old is a good solution and feasible due to the already discounted tickets for children.
The Federal Parents' Association also suggests at least two practice days per school year, supplemented by parent information evenings and accompanying exercises in class. They propose a comprehensive offer of free public transport practice days to make safety independent of location.
For the most accurate and updated information, checking the websites of the respective regional transport associations or local education authorities would be necessary, as these programs vary by region and year but are designed to improve school commute safety and independence for children.
School children in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Hamburg, and Aachen can benefit from free trial rides or reduced-price tickets offered by regional transport authorities to practice their school commute routes. This initiative, also advocated by The Federal Parents' Association, falls under the category of lifestyle, education-and-self-development, and general-news, as it promotes the independence and safety of children while traveling. The association further suggests regular practice days and information evenings to make this transition smoother, which aligns with their goals for education-and-self-development and lifestyle.
