Column by Stefan Meyerhans: Costs are too high due to old braids

class=”sc-29f61514-0 icZBHN”>

The other adjustment screw, namely improving the efficiency of public transport services, is often forgotten. Because yes, I also know: feasting is easier than working out in the gym.

But there is a ruthless lens called technological progress that illuminates where unnecessary and sometimes unfair old habits are leading to excessive costs.

More and more people are wondering: why do I need a network pass if I just want to get from point A to point B? Why are there two different prices if I buy either the entire route or two sections? Is it really legal that – even though I have a pass for part of the route – I will have to pay for that part again if I go outside the network on an express train?

In the past, the industry might have argued that certain compromises were necessary to make public transit easier to use or to make the system of 18 regional fare associations, plus SBB, BLS and Co. even manageable.

The latter is the reason that you are still not credited with a network subscription if you travel outside the network by express. This is true, in this case you will actually have to pay twice. I’ve been struggling with this for years. The industry response has always been that they are looking, but have not yet found a “practical and affordable solution.”

In fact, I think such answers are quite bold in a time when the power of every mobile phone exceeds the power of the control computer of the Armstrong moon rocket. This shows that the public transport industry is not yet taking advantage of technological progress, especially in the sense that this is also reflected in lower costs.

On the contrary, I see – like the Swiss Federal Audit Office and Economiesuisse – significant potential for efficiency gains that could lead to a positive effect on the cost of public transport.

Example: If you want to buy a ticket today, you can do it in 7 different ways:

• at the car
• on the counter
• by phone
• with the bus driver
• via website
• via smartphone
• via the check-in and check-out app

If it results in significant additional sales and profits: why not? But it is necessary to look at the situation as a whole. Because so many different sales channels are not available for free. It costs: at the Zurich Transport Association, according to the latest information available, box office sales cost 6.40 francs per ticket, at the ticket machine 1.00 francs, and for digital channels only 20 to 70 centimes. If the industry actively promoted sales through digital channels, millions of francs could be saved in the medium term, protecting cost accounting and, over time, ticket prices.

Another point is that we still have two different tariff systems (association and national), both of which are always adjusted, but do not really fit each other. This leads to interfaces, inconsistency and duplication. It’s also expensive.

After my great pressure, the first major project to standardize tariffs is now being implemented in the industry. Exactly what this will look like is not yet known. After all, this is the first step in the right direction.

In short: to make public transport more competitive, prices should at a minimum not rise further. Therefore, I expect the industry to realize the full potential of efficiency for the benefit of customers. And that’s before you even use it in your wallet again.

Source: Blick