200 million francs loss More fare dodgers than ever before - public transport operator cracks down

The number of fare dodgers on public transport in Switzerland reached a new high in 2024. Now controls are to be stepped up to prevent this.

In 2024, the number of fare dodging incidents on public transport in Switzerland reached a new record. Over one million incidents were registered, resulting in an estimated loss of revenue of around CHF 200 million, as theTages-Anzeigernewspaper writes. To counteract this development, transport companies are planning to intensify controls.

The number of fare dodgers rose by around 10 percent last year, with over one million entries in the national fare dodger register. This database, which was introduced in 2019, records all cases of journeys without a ticket or with only a partially valid ticket.

Despite the possibility of entries being deleted after two years, the number of registered cases is steadily increasing. Michaela Ruoss from the Alliance Swiss Pass emphasizes that the number of unreported cases is high, as many fare evasion cases remain undetected.

Young people in particular do not have a valid ticket

Young people under the age of 26 in particular often travel without a valid ticket, accounting for 35 percent of fare dodgers caught, the newspaper continues.

The reasons for the increase vary: more people are using public transport, controls have become more frequent and efficient, and there is a general social trend towards a greater willingness to take risks.

Anyone caught without a ticket must expect a surcharge, which increases with repeated offenses. From the third incident within two years, there is a threat of criminal charges.

PostBus hires more enforcement staff

Last year, PostBus filed around 15,000 complaints for fare evasion. SBB does not wish to publish exact figures. PostBus invested around CHF 8 million in controls, which generated revenue of around CHF 4 million through surcharges. Despite the costs, these measures are essential to reduce the loss of revenue from fare evasion1.

In view of this situation, PostBus is planning to further intensify checks. The number of inspectors was already increased from 49.8 to 53 full-time positions in 2024, resulting in a good 87,000 inspection hours - an increase of 6.3 percent compared to the previous year. For the current year, PostBus is aiming for 95,000 enforcement hours, with a planned increase to 96,000 hours next year.

The editor wrote this article with the help of AI.