Self-service route

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A self-service route is a defined route or part of a railroad in Austria , on which passengers are only allowed to board local trains with a valid ticket. Otherwise, a so-called “control fee” of at least € 105 will be charged in addition to the fare. Exceptions are stations in which there is neither a manned ticket office nor a functioning ticket machine. The regulation does not apply to long-distance trains, but a surcharge of € 3.00 (as of 2019) will be charged if a passenger only purchases the ticket on the train.

history

Former logo for self-service routes

The self-service routes were introduced by the Austrian Federal Railways with the timetable change on December 11, 2005 and subsequently expanded.

In 2005, the first 16 self-service routes were introduced at ÖBB. Since the timetable change on December 12, 2010, self-service traffic has been in effect on all local ÖBB trains. The following is the (incomplete) list of self-service routes (in brackets the date of introduction):

As before , self-service routes are shown as such in text form or with symbols in the Austrian railway course book , in timetable extracts and posted timetables.

Tariff basis

The “Tariff Directory No. 16 (Personentarif ÖBB)” of Personenverkehrs AG of the Austrian Federal Railways describes a self-service route in “Part I: General Provisions” as follows: “ Defined and locally announced routes or route sections for which boarding at all stations and stops A valid ticket must be purchased on all local transport trains (regional, express, EURegio, Sprinter and RSB trains) before boarding. "

If a passenger is found in the area of ​​a self-service route on the train without a valid ticket, ÖBB will charge a control fee in addition to the ticket (currently € 105 for immediate payment, € 135 for payment with a payment slip).

criticism

With the introduction of the self-service routes, Personenverkehrs AG had to accept massive complaints and harsh criticism, ranging from organizational deficiencies to poor service and rip- offs. The media also received countless letters to the editor from railway users criticizing the introduction of self-service routes.

Here are a few examples
  • Bad service - "' An unsustainable sales campaign in connection with the ÖBB ticket machines on self-service routes" speaks of AK President Walter Rotschädl [...] " The ÖBB also stamp customers willing to pay as fare dodgers " [...] According to experts, the new machines are extremely complicated the operation. In addition, in some stops, passengers are forced to change to another platform to buy a ticket because there is only one machine ... "
  • Bad service - “There is a devastating expert judgment on the new ÖBB ticket machines. The system is ' actually unnecessarily complicated ', according to a Viennese web design company […] The new electronic train employees were put through their paces by the web design company 'intuitively'. The company specialized in ease of use. The testers criticized the device even before the first 'real' contact with the device. Because even at international train stations, “Tickets” are written on the machines in large letters - and not “Tickets” […] If the customer […] has seen through how he gets to the order mask, it becomes confusing there at the latest. 20 options await the overwhelmed user. Internal technical terms […] are not explained […] The experts were also anything but satisfied with the payment process. Anyone looking for coins for longer is unlucky: after 52 seconds the machine simply breaks off without warning ... "
  • Lack of organization - "The ÖBB will be running the railway line between Mürzzuschlag and Spielfeld-Straß as a" self-service route "from February 1, 2006. However, you have not set up any ticket machines at at least 2 stations . These are the stops at Kapfenberg-Fachhochschule and Hönigsberg. ' That can only be seen as a prank or as preparation for closing stops .' ... "
  • Lack of organization - "..." We are aware, however, that access to the ticket machines is not yet given for all people equally. We have therefore decided to exempt blind and mobility-impaired people who are traveling without an accompanying person from the control fee, 'said Reinhard Rodlauer from ÖBB Holding AG (Group Coordination of Accessibility) in writing at the end of May 2006. […] The ÖBB discriminate by operating non-barrier-free ticket machines. ' Disabled people who cannot use them do not have to pay a control fee according to the Disability Equality Act ', said 'BIZEPS' of ÖBB Personenverkehr AG ... "
The collection of the “control fee” is also controversial from a legal point of view.
  • "... According to Section 15 of the Railway Transport Act - according to my lawyers unanimously - it is questionable whether this control fee is even legally collected in all cases. “ The passenger's entitlement to the issue of a ticket expires five minutes before the train departs,” is the text of the law. The time it takes to issue tickets at the machine is estimated to be just over a minute. It follows that with a queue of e.g. B. five people in front of the machine, the train is actually not allowed to leave if the buyers have arrived more than five minutes before the train departs. ' If one of these waiting people then gets on the train without buying a ticket in order to catch it after all - this control fee should not be collected from him. The railway would then have to prove - so the argumentation - that there was no queue at the ticket machine. Only if the ÖBB succeeds in this, a control fee should be levied from this person '… “However, no documents could be found as to whether a preliminary judgment has already been reached in such a case.

In fact, the Personenverkehrs AG had to row back vigorously after the introduction of the self-service routes. Many of the complaints were justified and many of the deficiencies identified could not be disputed. With training courses, especially for older people, PV AG tried to make good the damage to its image and to take away the passengers' fear of contact. Missing or defective machines were installed or replaced. The control bodies now receive information via mobile phone as to whether a ticket machine is defective in an operating location and thus the control fee should not be collected. In addition, the control organs were instructed to exercise tact with their controls. Many of the inspectors did not want to get involved in nerve-wracking discussions anyway and refrained from charging the inspection fee without any instructions from the company management and only charged the normal fare.

Web links

swell

  1. ^ Austrian Federal Railways, Personenverkehr AG: self-service routes
  2. ↑ Österreichische Bundesbahnen, Personenverkehr AG: Tariff index number 16 ÖBB passenger tariff (page 7), valid from January 1, 2008
  3. ↑ Österreichische Bundesbahnen, Personenverkehr AG: Austrian Railway Passenger and Baggage Tariff, Item 18.4 (valid from March 8, 2011)
  4. ↑ Styrian Chamber of Labor: Automatic customer eviction by ÖBB (February 15, 2006) ( Memento of the original of August 11, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.akstmk.at
  5. ↑ ORF: ÖBB-Automaten - Destructive test verdict by experts (February 13, 2006)
  6. ↑ KPÖ Styria: "Self-service route" without self-service (23 January 2006)
  7. ↑ Disability Advice Center (BIZEPS): ÖBB admission: "Accessibility not yet given" (June 21, 2006)
  8. ↑ Disability Advice Center (BIZEPS): Krone: New anger about ÖBB - “Ministry of Transport urges ÖBB to provide better customer service”, reports the daily on February 8, 2006. (February 11, 2006)