Eberswalde students against semester ticket: Vote in student general assembly
with a clear result

The General Students' Committee (AStA) of the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE), and thus part of the Berlin Brandenburg Semester Ticket Interest Group (IGSemTix), is calling on the Berlin-Brandenburg Transport Association (VBB) to provide a fair and affordable semester ticket in the long term. The latter is aiming for a gradual price increase to 245 euros by the 2023/24 winter semester. On 17 November 2021, HNEE students voted with a very high turnout on whether they support a semester ticket for 245 euros per semester in the long term. As a result, 53 per cent of students voted no and 44.5 per cent voted yes.

After several negotiations with the VBB, the situation remains unsatisfactory in the opinion of HNEE student representatives. Maxi Martin, lead negotiator for the HNEE AStA, on the voting results: "The HNEE student body made it clear at the general assembly that a price increase for semester tickets is not acceptable to the majority. At the same time, there were also numerous statements about the fact that studying cannot continue without the option of using public transport. We therefore need affordable semester tickets in Brandenburg. If the transport companies do not accommodate us and the subsidies from the state are not continued, the student body will split. This will turn higher education in Brandenburg into a privilege for those who can afford it financially."

HNEE students currently purchase a semester ticket for 170 euros when they enrol. This allows them to use the entire VBB public transport network. The contract between the HNEE AStA and the VBB for this semester ticket expires after the current winter semester 2021/22.

The aim of the AStA is still to introduce a 365-euro ticket, which has already existed for students in Brandenburg since 2019. The HNEE AStA is working together with IGSemTix to achieve this. The Executive Board of HNEE supports this demand of the AStA. Prof Dr Matthias Barth, President of HNEE, on the current developments: "I would very much welcome it if the negotiations were to be resumed, at best with the support of the Brandenburg state government. Under no circumstances should we risk a semester without a semester ticket. A not insignificant number of our students regularly commute between Berlin and Eberswalde by regional transport. The lack of a semester ticket would make Eberswalde less attractive as a university location."