Lord Mayor Frank Klingebiel: "The payment of a voluntary service for which there is no contractual obligation is only permissible after the budget statutes have come into force. This also applies to the municipal subsidy for the continuation of the Sozialticket from 2021 onwards. This means that the 2021/2022 double budget adopted by the Council on 20.01.2021 must first be approved by the Lower Saxony Ministry of the Interior and Sport and then published by the City of Salzgitter. As announced, I have been working with my administration and KVG Braunschweig to find a viable solution to ensure that the continuation of the "Sozialticket" model project in Salzgitter, which was approved by the Council on 20.01.2021 in 2019 and 2020, can be implemented promptly in the interests of those entitled to it, even before the budget is approved. In coordination with KVG Braunschweig and our Versorgungs- und Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH Salzgitter (VVS), implementation can initially be made possible under company law and as part of the ongoing public service contract. The financial resources that may be required in this regard are available as part of the 2021 business plan adopted for VVS Salzgitter."

This week, around 15,000 entitlement certificates will be sent out to recipients by the city administration. From Monday, February 1, the sale of Sozialtickets will begin at KVG Braunschweig sales outlets.

Around 10,000 Sozialtickets were used in 2019. This included a good 700 tickets for children. Due to the pandemic, around 8,500 Sozialtickets were issued in 2020, slightly fewer than in the previous year.

Klingebiel concluded: "I would like to thank everyone involved for this quick and uncomplicated solution for 2021 and hope, together with the Council, that the Sozialticket will continue to be well received in the future."