With the timetable change for Swiss public transport already on the horizon, one city has used the opportunity to trial a super-cheap ticket. From December 10, people living or visiting Kreuzlingen, Canton Thurgau will be able to take a bus ride for just one Swiss franc.
In a statement given to SRF, officials in Kreuzlingen confirmed that from December 10, a single ticket in the city will cost one Swiss franc rather than 3,30. The tickets will be valid on all local and Swiss Post buses, and rail services provided by Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) in Ostwind-Zone 256 - this also applies to bus lines 908 and 925 to Konstanz, the neighbouring German city - although the tickets must be bought in Switzerland to be valid.
What’s more, a day pass for Zone 256 will only cost two francs instead of 6,60 and a monthly zonal subscription will cost 35 francs instead of 72. The city expects the lower prices to be in force until at least 2026.
“Various cities have discounts on public transport, but we have now taken a bigger step", noted city councillor Ernst Zülle. Indeed, the ticket is the very first of its kind in Switzerland and is actually a compromise - the proposal by the local council that called for an entirely free bus network was narrowly rejected by lawmakers, so a one-franc system was created instead.
The scheme is aimed to encourage people to stop driving and instead use the bus. Positioned right next to Germany and Konstanz, the area suffers from high traffic numbers due to shopping tourists and freight traffic. “Every driver who switches to public transport is one less car on the roads,” Zülle noted.
The discount ticket scheme is expected to cost the city 400.000 francs a year. However, those fearing that the policy will lead to increased taxes can relax, as for now the city will use money built up from parking fees and fines to pay for the scheme. “Shopping tourism in Konstanz, near the border, brings us high parking fees. And of course, also fines if people get back to their car late,” Zülle explained.
However, the authorities in Kreuzlingen warned that they would be paying close attention to whether the scheme actually works, with commentators noting that questions remain on whether cutting the price of public transport actually makes people drive less. “If nothing changes in people’s driving behaviour, then the discounts will probably not be continued,” Zülle warned.
Nevertheless, Zülle said he hoped the scheme would inspire other Swiss cities and cantons to try cut-price tickets, although conceded that not every community has the money to make the change. For more information about the scheme, check out the official website.