Too expensive, too complicated: day pass threatens to flop

class=”sc-29f61514-0 fQbOYE”>

Anyone planning a trip to Switzerland during the summer holidays is familiar with them: the municipal day tickets. For 40 to 50 francs you can travel through Switzerland for a day by train. Now the day ticket needs to be replaced.

From 2024, the new Community Day Pass will be available to customers in two price levels for 1st and 2nd class, with or without a half-fare ticket. Prices vary depending on how early the new day pass is purchased. If you don’t have a Half-Fare travel card, you’ll have to dig deeper into your pockets compared to the previous model.

There is now a quota for the whole of Switzerland. All municipalities and cities should have access to the same quota via a central web application. According to Alliance Swisspass, it is about 4,000 francs per day, writes “20 minutes”. Once this has been used up, a municipal savings day pass cannot be purchased at any other municipality in Switzerland for the selected travel day. However, the cards must continue to be obtained from the municipality – but only at the counter and no longer digitally because they are personalized.

problems in communities

But now there is resistance. Many communities are angry about the new regime. For example, the municipality of Zollikon ZH decided not to introduce the ticket, SRF recently reported. It is a clear step backwards and the sales process is too complex. “The sales process that SBB outsources to the municipalities is much too complex,” says Markus Gossweiler, Zollikon’s municipal clerk. “In terms of digitization, you take two or three steps back compared to the current situation.”

In Sarganserland, a committee has even been formed against the new model. The criticisms are similar: too expensive, too complicated, not transferable. You are not alone. So far, 1200 municipalities offer such a day card. Only about 500 people have opted for the new model since registration began a month ago, writes “20 Minutes”.

Uncertainties are “normal”

The new model was developed by the public transport industry association Alliance Swisspass – together with the Swiss Association of Cities and the Swiss Association of Municipalities. Director Christoph Niederberger understands the criticism of the lack of online services, he says to “20 minutes”. If the effort is higher, you need to adjust it. However, the sales commission for municipalities is higher than for other alliance partners. And many communities would support the system, the earlier numbers are a nice result.

The Alliance Swisspass tells the newspaper that it is still too early for a conclusion. “Certain uncertainties are normal when replacing a product that has existed in this form for over 20 years.” There is no financial risk to the communities as they only sell what is in demand. (brother)

Source:Blick