BVG to Scrap Ticket Vending Machines — Passenger Association Raises Alarm

BVG sales director Michael Beer announced on 21 October 2026 that the operator intends to remove all traditional ticket vending machines from Berlin's public transport network by 2029 and replace them with approximately 3,600 digital validators that accept only contactless and app-based payment. Cash transactions at machines would no longer be possible. More than 900 retail points of sale would remain for prepaid card top-ups. The Berliner Fahrgastverband IGEB immediately warned that digitalisation must not become a cost-cutting measure at passengers' expense, citing the exclusion of elderly people, those without bank accounts, and visually impaired travellers who struggle with small validator displays. The AfD's transport policy spokesperson Daniel Krüger also criticised the plan. IGEB noted that Vienna, Copenhagen, London and Helsinki all retain traditional machines alongside digital options, making Berlin's planned approach unusual internationally. BVG argued that eliminating cash handling and machine maintenance would save significant costs and align with global trends.