Buyers of four-ride tickets at the old price can use the tickets of the Verkehrsgemeinschaft Mittelthüringen beyond April 1st. This was announced by the state administration office in Gotha on Monday. This also applies to tickets that have been opened and one side of which has already been used. The state administration office approved a corresponding application by the Central Thuringian Transport Community to change the tariff from April.

A transitional period of three months was initially granted for the validity of tickets purchased at the old price. After that, customers could exchange their cards by redeeming them at the applicable rate. Contrary to original plans, this now also applies to four-trip tickets that have already been opened. First, they should expire after three months without replacement.

On April 1st, fares in Central Thuringia will rise by almost eight percent. The Verkehrsgemeinschaft Mittelthüringen includes the cities of Erfurt, Weimar, Jena and Gera as well as the districts of Gotha, Weimarer Land, Saale-Holzland, Saalfeld-Rudolstadt and Saale-Orla.

Due to a special financial aid from the state totaling 25 million euros, the increased costs of the transport company were not fully passed on to the fare, according to the state administration office. Otherwise an increase of more than 17 percent would have been due.