07.04.2025, 12:41
So we've got some news, in the form of news coverage....
A big thank you to 20% Berlin — an invaluable resource for Berlin news in English — for their early shoutout on our Deutsche BarkBahn campaign. They quoted from our open letter, which highlights the “baffling” policy of overcharging dog owners while kids under six and copious amounts of luggage travel for free. We appreciated their early support in amplifying the issue and helping us get off the starting block. Check out the post www.20percent.berlin/p/356-immigration-office-mess-big-anti and sign up to their fabulous newsletter here www.20percent.berlin/.
A special thanks also to Steve Przybilla for covering the campaign in SPIEGEL, "Four Paws and a Jungle of Tariffs". His article rightly pointed out the absurdity of even trying to get a straight answer on the issue:
– The Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport declined to comment on the petition, responding first with amusement and stating the demands were “clearly addressed to someone else.”
– They eventually passed the buck to Deutsche Bahn, saying pricing is DB’s responsibility.
– DB, in turn, shared only a link to their pet transport rules and stated that local transport falls under the remit of regional associations.
– On long-distance trains, they said they’d follow up — and when they did, still provided no explanation for why a dog ticket costs 50% of the standard fare.
– DB also declined to comment on broader issues raised in the petition, asking instead for “understanding.”
Read the full article www.spiegel.de/reise/deutschland/hunde-in-der-bahn-vier-pfoten-und-ein-tarifdschungel-a-dadf11fb-c0c5-4d58-9ebb-0936e8a895ff
And thanks, Steve, for also pointing out that the petition initially addressed the wrong ministry — a mix-up caused by back-and-forth translation errors. The correct contact is the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, not the Ministry for Infrastructure and Digital Affairs — now amended.
And finally, thanks to Radio Eins for bringing our petition to their Sonntagsfahrer show, where they discussed the challenges of the current system with Karl-Peter Naumann of Pro Bahn. We both agree with the broader perspective: the tariff system in Germany is unnecessarily complicated for both people and dogs alike. The federal system’s inefficiencies and duplication of work are draining public funds - and our campaign is just the 'tail-end' of a much larger issue. We need streamlined, clear regulations that benefit both passengers and their pets. Listen to the segment www.radioeins.de/programm/sendungen/die_sonntagsfahrer/_/petition-kaempft-fuer-guenstigere-hundetickets-im-fernverkehr.html.
