The number of people trying to ride public transport for free has reached a new high in Switzerland, new data from Alliance SwissPass has revealed. Over 1 million people are now on the ticket regulator's fare dodging register.
As of the end of 2024, 1.008.251 people were on the fare dodging register, SynServ, in Switzerland, an increase of 10 percent compared to 2023. The number of people on the database has more than doubled since the system was introduced in 2019, with ticket inspectors telling the Tages-Anzeiger that the problem is getting worse and worse.
In Switzerland, anyone who is caught riding without a valid public transport ticket is fined either 70 (partly valid ticket) or 90 (no valid ticket) francs, on top of the cost of buying the correct ticket, and their name and contact details are added to SynServ. If no further incidents are reported, the person’s entry on the database is deleted after two years.
However, if the person rides without a ticket again and is caught while still on the database, transport operators can issue higher fines. A second offence without a valid ticket costs 130 francs, while a third offence costs 160 francs. Transport providers also reserve the right to take legal action, though this only occurs after the third or fourth offence.
Alliance SwissPass estimates that fare-dodging costs transport providers 200 million francs a year. Association spokesperson Michaela Ruoss told the Tages-Anzeiger that while providers have become better at catching fare dodgers, most free riders remain unpunished.
When asked why the number of fare dodgers is increasing, Ruoss noted that public transport providers are catering to record numbers of passengers, and are ramping up ticket checks. Though Swiss Federal Railways refused to say whether they were expanding checks, PostBus confirmed that it spent 8 million francs on inspections in 2024, earning them 4 million francs in fines. The company also plans to expand the number of inspectors it employs.
Finally, Ruoss noted that there has been “a general societal shift toward greater risk-taking”, especially among those younger than 26 years old who now make up 35 percent of all fare evaders. The data suggests that fare dodging is a tricky habit to kick: 61 percent of those on the register have ridden without a ticket more than once.
Another possible factor is cost, with a recent study by LITRA noting that while the public transport network is value for money, Switzerland is one of the few countries where ticket prices have risen in the last decade. A 2024 report from the official Price Monitor found that the cost of using public transport has risen above inflation almost every year since 1990.
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