Internal documents show SBB punishes customers with strict rules - this is how it came about

Internal documents show how Swiss transport companies were able to enforce their strict approach to late ticket purchases despite criticism from the federal government.

Every year, Swiss transport companies lose around CHF 200 million due to passengers traveling without a valid ticket. Almost half of the registered fraudsters were caught at least three times within 24 months.

This sum was recently published by the industry organization Alliance Swisspass and shows just how big the problem of fare evasion is. These financial losses hit the industry hard, which is why transport companies were very irritated when the federal government called for the control regime to be relaxed at the end of 2023, as reported by the Aargauer Zeitung newspaper.

A few seconds cost 70 francs

The Federal Office of Transport (FOT) proposed that passengers should also be allowed to buy their tickets electronically after a train has departed. Until now, the ticket purchase had to be completed before departure. Even if you were only a few seconds late, you risked a fine of at least CHF 70.

In order to defuse the conflict, the federal government and the transport industry set up a working group to bring about an open discussion and a compromise. CH Media was granted access to the minutes of the meeting due to the principle of public access, allowing a detailed look behind the scenes of the tariff dispute, which had thrown the industry into turmoil for months.

The federal government's approach met with resentment

An initial exchange on January 17 shows just how frustrated the public transport industry was at the time. One industry representative expressed his "disappointment" that the FOT had made its criticism public. "This is not the way cooperation has worked so far."

There was also talk of "lasting damage" to the cooperation and a considerable number of refund claims that had already been received, "including from law firms".

The fact that passengers were demanding their buses back caused unrest in the industry. There were fears that the debate could encourage other public transport users to file similar claims.

The representative of Bernmobil emphasized the importance of strict controls. Young people in particular would often wait until an inspector appeared before buying a ticket. If a ticket inspector appears, passengers buy a ticket quickly - otherwise they travel for free. The representative of the Zurich Transport Association (ZVV) reported that such forms of abuse were on the increase.

Transport companies got their way

The FOT took a different view. According to the law, a fine can only be issued if a loss of revenue is suspected. In the case of a passenger who wanted to buy a ticket with the best of intentions but did so too late - due to a poor internet connection, for example - this condition for a fine was not met, according to the FOT.

The federal government and the public transport industry were unable to find common ground on this legal issue, as the minutes of the working group show. After the first "Chropfleerete" in January, the working group met several times.

At the meetings, SBB and other transport companies prevailed with their interpretation and ensured that the previous regulation remained untouched. The fare regulations therefore continue to state that customers must be in possession of a valid ticket before the actual departure.

Information campaign to raise awareness

At the same time, the working group developed measures to reduce the number of buses and accommodate the federal government. The aim is to charge fewer "surcharges", which are often not understood, and thus increase customer satisfaction.

Specifically, the working group proposed the following measures to the FOT on April 11:

- An information campaign should sensitize customers about the existing rule.

- The industry should regularly discuss how to deal with e-tickets that are purchased too late.

- Technical improvements should be implemented so that, for example, the SBB app allows an e-ticket to be valid immediately upon purchase and not only at the departure time of the selected connection.

BAV calls for more speed with measures

The industry planned implementation for next year, but the FOT urged a solution by the end of the year.

The proposed measures reflected the "lowest common denominator", the FOT noted with disillusionment. The FOT had hoped for more from its intervention, as can be seen from the available documents.

In the explanatory notes to the package of measures, it stated: "Collaboration in the working group proved difficult for the FOT in some cases." If the measures are not effective, the industry will have to consider further steps. A performance review is planned for the end of the year.

Strict control regime defended

A look behind the scenes shows how the transport companies fended off the attack on their strict control regime. Nevertheless, it remains in their interest to be fair when it comes to ticket inspections, especially for electronic tickets.

After all, the industry's declared aim is to soon rely solely on this sales channel. However, this will only succeed if passengers are able to understand the fare rules and accept the control system.