Author: Marie Weiß

For many years, students at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences have been waiting for the opportunity to use local public transport more cheaply. But the wait is finally over, as the semester ticket will also be introduced at HSZG from the 2022/2023 winter semester. This was decided by a vote in October last year, in which 72.2% of the students involved voted in favor of the introduction. We have our student council to thank for the future semester ticket, who campaigned for it and led all negotiations and negotiated the appropriate conditions.

In a nutshell: The semester ticket will be available to all students at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences from 01.09.2022. It will be introduced as a solidarity model, meaning that every enrolled student will receive the semester ticket. This also means that every student has to pay for it. It will cost €142.10 for the entire semester and will automatically be added to the semester fee. Now we come to the exciting question: Where is the semester ticket valid?
The semester ticket is valid on all public transport, i.e. on streetcars, buses and trains in the ZVON area. The ZVON area covers the eastern district of Bautzen and the entire district of Görlitz.
But that's not all, because the ticket is also valid in the SPNV area, i.e. on all local rail services such as the S-Bahn and regional trains. This means that we can travel throughout Saxony, including from or to Dresden or Leipzig. You can find more detailed information and updates on the Student Council website.

So what are the advantages?
There are clear advantages for all those who do not live in the immediate vicinity of the university, but either in another part of the city or in the region and do not (want to) use a car. But the semester ticket should also have advantages for everyone else. Whether for the weekly shop, a visit to friends or family or the journey to the university, sometimes it's really handy to be able to take the train or bus quickly, isn't it?

For those coming from further afield, the ticket is particularly worthwhile, as you can travel to the borders of Saxony "free of charge". There is also the option of combining it with a neighboring country ticket. This means that you no longer have to buy tickets up to the first and from the last scheduled station in the area of validity. Super practical!
There are not only a lot of advantages for students in their free time, but also in the context of the university and its events.
Excursions within Saxony can be made more easily and cheaply, which should also be in the interests of the lecturers ;-).

Disadvantages, are there any?
What could be the disadvantages of a semester ticket? The solidarity model means that everyone is forced to pay for the ticket, even if they don't want to. There will be possibilities to be exempted, but so far there is no more detailed information on this. But I think that once you've enjoyed the semester ticket, you won't want to give it up.
The price in general could be seen as a disadvantage for some, as the semester fee will be increased by the above-mentioned price for the semester ticket and will probably end up being around €233. This sounds like a lot at first, but if you look at the regular prices of public transport, you quickly realize how much you can save with a semester ticket if you use it regularly.
The dependence on public transport is also rather disadvantageous for us students. You have to follow the train times and rely on the train coming and not being canceled. But even if you decide to take the train, streetcar or bus and they are late, every lecturer will understand.

My personal opinion of the semester ticket is consistently positive. I don't live in Görlitz myself, which is why the semester ticket is incredibly useful to me. I also find the ticket very practical for my free time, because I like to go on trips with friends, which will simply be cheaper in the future. To all those who are still a little skeptical: why not find out about beautiful excursion destinations in Saxony and enjoy your semester ticket from September? Have fun!