SBB disrupts commuters with miserable compensation – News Economy: Business



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The father of a family of four Franco-Switzerland is annoyed. He travels rarely, but for this holiday trip he and his wife preferred the SBB to the car. The train is full, however, because of the complete closure of the road between Lausanne and Friborg. The family must be divided into four compartments; nothing with a cozy gathering on the way to Bern. In changing, the father growls: "If we do not find a place, I claim the money."

Like this family, many train travelers are currently put to the test. SBB has major projects this summer; as many kilometers as ever before is built. In many places, maintenance work will continue until the fall. Are concerned hundreds of thousands of travelers who must accept detours and delays.

Few Benefits

While many rail customers are friendly at work, the CFF clearing practice often causes trouble. Although commuters affected by construction work receive compensation for the first time; It consists of a good value of 100 francs. But only a small number of commuters can benefit: those affected by the complete closure of Friborg and Lausanne. In addition, it is not easy for applicants to get the right one. This is why many of them do not even fear the "customer compensation pilot project", as we officially call it.

Bernerzeitung.ch/Newsnet interviewed passengers on the train and on the train. A typical case is Lise Tran (35 years old), owner of a 2nd class general subscription. She travels three times a week from Geneva to Berne and back. She complains, "There's a lot of travel time, and extra transfers make it very complicated." She was informed of the compensation plan, says Lise Tran. "But it's so complicated that it's even better. was scared to participate. "A commuter on the road from Nyon to Bern describes compensation as a" joke. "Likewise, most of the surveyed customers commented.

No money without smartphone

In fact, the SBB have incorporated significant obstacles.The compensation is only offered to passengers who must undergo detours for at least 10 days.You must also Register online with a Swiss Pass and have a modern smartphone, activate GPS tracking permanently, install the preview of SBB apps, log in to the Swiss Pass and click on the "Project Compensation" box. Only customers who record all the traje ts receive the good, a manual re-entry is impossible.

The SBB application has not recognized the place many times during test trips over three days, for example at the Bern railway station and between Geneva and Lausanne. A new Samsung with GPS tracking was used

Customer Tran thinks that "it's an impertinence that we have to be located by an SBB app for proof". In addition, she believes that it is not correct that only people with a newer smartphone benefit from it. And finally she thinks: "100 francs clearing, it's really very little for customers like me, who have to endure loads of stuff several times a week." She does not give a figure but says that the amount "must surely exceed 100 francs". She believes that the SBB has set compensation "so as not to spoil people's participation".


Enlarge the picture

The "Pro Bahn" association, which represents the interests of railway customers, says that the circumstances for rail passengers are considerable. Not only the three main construction sites in western Switzerland, Olten and St. Gallen, but also other regions are also affected, said President Karin Blättler. "Just sitting on the train or bus and leaving is not possible this summer," she regrets. SBB should widen the paid circle. "All concerned passengers should be easily compensated. The best solution would be a general reduction in rail rates of, for example, five per cent on all fares, as long as the construction sites maintain the customers to a large extent.

Legally, SBB is not obliged to pay for delays. Although a majority has voted in favor of a new legal regulation in parliament, nothing is yet ripe.

Criticism of Politics

Railway politicians asked for major parties express themselves in a differentiated manner. The national CVP adviser, Martin Candinas (GR), a colleague of the party of the Minister of Railways Doris Leuthard, protects SBB. It is fortunate that SBB is distributing remuneration for the first time. He refuses to intervene in politics. The SBB, as a company close to the state, was allowed to carry out such a project in its own competence. It could not be that each passenger would receive "compensation for each trip and construction site".

Anders sees National Councilor SP Thomas Hardegger (ZH), a member of the Traffic Commission. "I find it very unfortunate that SBB has failed to offer a coherent remuneration system." Once again, SBB had intentionally requested the use of a mobile application. "This clearly contradicts the fundamental principles of supply, according to which public transport should be accessible to all". He calls the compensation of 100 francs as a test balloon and calls the CFF to "develop a fair compensation system for all interruptions."

Hart also goes to court with Thierry Burkart (AG), a CFF traffic politician. "The conditions for obtaining compensation are not user-friendly. Not only so-called digital customers can benefit from compensation. This clearly contradicts the public service idea that SBB should defend in the foreground. If SBB were already tracking their customers through an application, the compensation had to be tailored to their use. Burkart also believes that passengers in other regions should receive a "comparable compensation" if they are to suffer similar delays. That this pilot project does not change anything. Finally, Burkart asks SBB to reconsider the form of compensation. If, then, a gift card should not be given, but that an amount must be repaid.

"Tracking does not work on all smartphones." Ottavia Masserini, CFF spokesperson

Success "completely voluntary". This is the first attempt in Europe to find a clearing system for customers affected by longer construction work. The use of an app is "the most efficient way to reach as many customers as possible today." They reject Pro Bahn's appeal for a general reduction over the routes concerned.

There may be localization problems, SBB do not deny it. "Monitoring does not work reliably with all smartphones and SBB will find a suitable solution for all concerned customers," said spokesperson Ottavia Masserini. However, this only applies "to customers who can demonstrate the 10 journeys required with an extended journey time of 20 minutes". She rejects the criticism of the pilot project as too premature. "Our belief is dubious to draw a conclusion today, before the attempt has been properly completed."

(Tages-Anzeiger)

Created: 20.07.2018, 20 : 52 Uhr [19659025] [ad_2]
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