GroenLinks-PvdA Proposes Nine-Euro Seasonal Monthly Off-Peak Public Transport Ticket
MP De Hoop proposed the temporary pass during a parliamentary debate on public transport, framing it as a response to record fuel costs. NS is enthusiastic.
GroenLinks-PvdA has proposed a temporary monthly pass allowing unlimited off-peak travel across the entire Dutch public transport network for nine euros a month. MP Habtamu de Hoop introduced the idea during a Tweede Kamer debate on public transport on Wednesday, tying the proposal directly to the record petrol prices that have followed from the ongoing Iran war.
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What is being proposed
De Hoop wants the cabinet to introduce the ticket this summer, running from May through September. For nine euros a month, travellers would be able to use trains, buses, trams and metros across the Netherlands during off-peak hours without restriction.
De Hoop argued the timing makes particular sense given the current energy situation. "You pay less and it is better for our green future. If more people take the bus or train, we use less fuel. That helps in times when energy is scarce and expensive," he said.
The proposal echoes the party's 2025 election manifesto, in which it called for a permanent klimaatticket at 59 euros per month for unlimited off-peak travel. The current proposal is a cheaper, shorter-term version designed as an immediate response to rising costs.
How it would be financed
De Hoop proposes funding the scheme by cancelling a planned reduction in transfer tax on investment properties, though he indicated he is open to other funding ideas. Some coalition MPs questioned the financing without offering alternatives, and at least one suggested the climate fund could be used instead, given the framing of the proposal.
The reaction in parliament and from NS
A majority of parties present reacted positively. D66 MP Dion Huidekooper said he was "happy to hear this proposal" and expressed interest in keeping public transport cheaper even beyond 1 September. VVD MP Björn Schutz said the party was open to the idea, but had questions about funding.
NS responded enthusiastically. "It is good that public transport is being considered as a solution to a problem. In the off-peak period we have plenty of room for new passengers. A seat in our trains is occupied only 30 percent of the day, although the rush hour is always very busy," the company said.
State secretary for public transport Annet Bertram also said during the debate that public transport should be part of any broader cabinet package of measures to address the rising cost of living caused by the Iran war.
The German precedent
Germany experimented with a comparable discount ticket in 2022, when it briefly offered nationwide travel for nine euros a month. The scheme was widely popular and is widely cited as the inspiration for similar proposals in the Netherlands. Germany subsequently introduced the permanent Deutschlandticket at 49 euros a month, which has continued to grow in passenger numbers.
