An incident occurred in Tübingen that raised questions in the tuenews editorial office about how minors are treated and checks are carried out on public transport. A 15-year-old boy was taken off the bus and brought to the police station because he was unable to show his bus ticket on his mobile phone.
Problem with the ticket app
According to his mother, her son was on his way to school when the ticket inspector asked him to show his digital ticket. However, the app that displays the ticket had automatically updated, logging the boy out and preventing him from showing his valid monthly ticket. He gave the inspector his real name and explained the situation. Nevertheless, he was taken off the bus and brought to the police because he did not have his identity card with him.
What do you need to bear in mind during a ticket inspection?
The case shows that many passengers—especially children and young people—do not know exactly what rules apply during a ticket inspection. At the request of tuenews INTERNATIONAL, the naldo fare association explained the following:
Which tickets require official photo ID?
– According to naldo fare regulations, certain tickets are only valid in conjunction with official photo ID (issued by a public authority). These include mobile phone tickets, Print@Home tickets and chip cards.– For children and young people up to the age of 16 (i.e. under 16), a student ID card is sufficient for legitimation for the Deutschlandticket JugendBW.– In addition, inspectors require official photo ID if no valid ticket can be presented and an increased transport fee (EBE) is therefore considered.
Why can an inspector ask for ID?
Inspectors may ask for ID to check a mobile ticket or to verify age (whether someone is over or under 16). As age is not always clearly recognisable, minors under the age of 16 should have a student ID card ready as proof of age. In Germany, you are not actually required to carry identification with you: (tun25111112) However, according to the naldo press office, the general rule is that “the respective transport company has “house rules” in its vehicles. If an inspection is not carried out successfully or if operational safety is compromised, the driving and inspection staff may call in the police.”
Do the parents have to be notified?
According to the mother, the parents were not informed by the police. The teenager did not show up at school, and neither his parents nor the school knew where he was at first.
As a general rule, when young people are taken to the police station, this does not automatically mean that their parents must be notified immediately. In less serious cases, such as checks for travelling without a valid ticket on public transport and without carrying identification, the police decide on the spot whether to inform the parents. Each case is examined individually. Young people are also allowed to call themselves if they want to contact their parents:
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What if the app logs out during the update?
The naldo press office confirmed to tuenews INTERNATIONAL that users are sometimes automatically logged out when the app is updated. As a short-term solution, naldo recommends printing out Print@Home tickets as a backup. At the beginning of 2027, the current technical solution is to be abandoned and subscriptions integrated into the new naldo app in order to increase operational reliability.
What to do if your mobile phone breaks down?
If possible, you should carry a paper printout (Print@Home) with you. Print@Home tickets valid for travel within the fare network are available on naldo’s online customer portal. If your mobile phone battery is empty, you should carry a power bank with you to recharge it.
Fee payable for missing ticket
The parents would normally have had to pay a penalty fee of 60 euro because their child was unable to show a ticket on the bus. However, according to the terms and conditions of carriage, as applied by naldo, for example, only a processing fee of 7 euro is payable if you can show a valid ticket within a week. And that was the case with the young man from Tübingen. He had a valid monthly ticket, which was confirmed by the transport company responsible. If the problem was caused by the transport association, the seven euros will also be refunded. To do this, an application and proof of the increased transport fee (EBE) must be sent by email to erstattung@naldo.de, according to information from the naldo press office.
Further information:
naldo—fare regulations/conditions of carriage
naldo—FAQ tickets
By Oula Mahfouz and Bernhard Kirschner
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