The phone rings. “I’ll be there in five minutes,” says an unfamiliar voice. “Where? Who are you anyway?” “I’m from logistician XY and I’m bringing your package. I’ll be at your home in Bern in a few minutes,” explains the stranger. “But not me. I’m in Ticino.”
The good news is that there won’t be any more conversations like this any time soon. The bad: it doesn’t get any better. Up front: In 2019, the city of Bern counted about 20,000 parcels per year. According to forecasts, there could be three times more in 2040, namely 60,000 units. To discuss how to respond to this development, the city council meets regularly with representatives of the logistics industry for so-called freight rounds.
With the exercise bike on the bike
According to participants and documents available to Blick, abolition of parcel delivery to the front door is being considered. Because the federal city’s left-green government is bothered by the traffic that the deluge of packages could cause. She fears that logistics companies such as Planzer, DPD, DHL or the Post will cause traffic jams between the Zytgloggetoren and the Bärenpark.
For example, Bern is considering setting up several parcel posts in the city that would be open to all logistics employees. At these stations, which are spread over the districts, Post and Co should unload the packages. And instead of Madame de Meuron and Mr. Gnägi being able to easily receive their parcel at the door, in the future they would have to collect the ordered “Appenzeller Alpenbitter” or their annual need for perfume themselves from Grasse in France.
For anyone who has a car, it may be okay to get in the car and drive to the parcel station. But there is hardly less traffic and it is not environmentally friendly either. But especially in cities like Bern, many no longer own a motor vehicle. And if you have to cycle to the Matte neighborhood to pick up the new exercise bike, you have a problem.
«Improved quality of stay»
When asked by Blick, the city of Bern confirmed the discussion about the additional traffic due to the expected parcel boom and admitted: “A possible solution in densely built-up urban areas could be to make delivery journeys economically and environmentally compatible by using central locations in instead of all home addresses would be approached,” said spokesman Michael Sahli.
Packet stations reduced traffic and ‘enhanced the quality of stay’ and the sense of security of the residents. On the other hand, it could also be economically interesting for logistics employees, because they no longer drive to all houses and the residents of Bern would then have to search themselves.
Federal Bern must decide
However, the abolition of home delivery would be an intervention in the post office’s basic legal service mandate. The city of Bern also admits that the postal law should be changed to reduce public service.
It is all the more delicate that Swiss Post is also at the table when it comes to freight traffic rounds. Because neither the city of Bern nor a state-owned company like the post office has the power to change federal laws. Another address in Bern is responsible for this: the Bundespaleis.
Mail wants to continue to deliver to the door
When asked, the yellow giant emphasizes: “De Post appreciates direct contact with its customers and does not want to abolish the home delivery obligation.” And the postmen also appreciated the daily contact with customers. At the same time, however, Swiss Post admits that such “future scenarios” are being discussed in the round table discussions on freight transport in Bern.
And: because Bern provides information, you also have contact with other cities because of the parcel stations. Bern’s considerations corresponded well with those in Zurich, recently reported by the “Tages-Anzeiger” and the NZZ. In Zurich, the acceptance of the so-called “Salü-Boxes”, as the stations are called there, is to be determined in an 18-month pilot project – but no one is officially saying goodbye to home delivery there.
Even a driving ban is conceivable
In Bern, the introduction of the parcel stations could have even more serious consequences: the city’s documents even mention a “driving ban in parts of the city”. Such considerations are likely to irk many residents. In the future, they will have to collect the parcels from the parcel station, but the question is whether they can also get there by car.
Incidentally, the planning games for the dismantling of the public service have cost the taxpayer of the city of Bern almost 100,000 francs – if they have less money in their pocket for online orders, the parcel problem can be solved on its own.