Susanne Hierl, the parliamentary spokesperson for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, opposes the proposed decriminalization of fare evasion. Speaking to “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” (Wednesday editions), Hierl stated that the current initiative from the Federal Ministry of Justice, which aims to remove driving without a ticket from the criminal code and treat it only as an administrative offense, is a mistake.
The CSU politician argued that public local and long-distance transport is crucial for the transition to sustainable mobility and climate protection, and therefore requires reliable funding. According to Hierl, fare evasion is not a minor transgression but rather undermines the solidarity among all passengers and endangers the expansion and modernization of transport networks.
Instead of relaxing controls, she suggested that public transport must become more attractive through cleanliness, reliability, and fair pricing. Hierl concluded by stating that those who take climate protection and affordable mobility seriously must not reward fare dodgers, as otherwise, honest passengers will ultimately bear the cost. This stance contrasts with the federal minister of justice, Stefanie Hubig (SPD), who has previously supported treating fare evasion as a minor offense rather than a crime.
