United shipping company for Lake Constance and the Rhine

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The United Shipping Companies for Lake Constance and the Rhine (VSU) is an association founded in 1952 with four members: Bodensee-Schiffsbetriebe GmbH (BSB, Konstanz ), Vorarlberg Lines Walter Klaus Bodenseeschifffahrt GmbH & Co. (VLB, Bregenz ), SBS Schifffahrt AG in Romanshorn and the Schweizerische Schifffahrtsgesellschaft Untersee und Rhein (URh, Schaffhausen ). These shipping companies operate 30 motor ships and three car ferries , which make up the main part of the White Fleet of Lake Constance , the largest such inland fleet in Europe . The association is based in Constance.

history

Soon after the start of steam shipping on Lake Constance, the three competing German companies jointly settled important questions about safety, freight and passenger transport, and since 1847 also about tariffs and timetables. The transnational United Steamship Administration (VDV) emerged from these non-binding conferences in the 1860s, after the state railways of Baden , Württemberg and Bavaria had taken over the private shipping operations . Because regulations for international waters only became binding through state treaties between the five neighboring states at the time , the VDV was only able to exert influence through initiatives and applications. Such initiatives led to the first official ship map for Lake Constance, a tax rate book and the removal or marking of obstacles for shipping. Internally, the VDV coordinated the timetables of the shipping and railway companies, which was made more difficult by the five time zones on Lake Constance until 1895 . In 1867, the VDV's contribution to the creation of the International Shipping and Port Regulations for Lake Constance (ISHO), which was replaced in 1976 by the Lake Constance Shipping Regulations (BSO), was essential . In its updated form, it is now binding for all participants in Lake Constance shipping. The members of today's VSU are the legal successors of the same four shipping companies that formed the VDV in 1879.

tasks

To “maintain and promote shipping traffic between the shores of Lake Constance and the Rhine” to Schaffhausen , the VSU offers a joint timetable with uniform tariffs for its four members. The courses are partly served jointly (BSB with VLB or SBS). The association business is decided in the board of the VSU conference. This meets three to four times a year and is composed of the managing directors of the companies involved under the leadership of the BSB. The VSU represent its interests externally and inform the public and the mass media . Technical matters are in conferences of managements considered and adopted.

The VSU members open the season every year with a fleet rally

Services

30 passenger ships of the association members with a capacity of 60 to 1200 passengers are in use in the season from April to October; in winter they are serviced in four shipyards . The three ferries (BSB with SBS) operate all year round. In 2012, the 260 VSU employees carried 3.6 million passengers with their “products” - course, excursion, charter and event marketing trips . The number is very dependent on the weather, because the scheduled boats are also primarily used by tourists . The mainau island, a magnet for visitors, is of central importance for the scheduling of the VSU . The annual International Fleet Star Tour, during which ships of the VSU shipping companies form a star , bow to bow, as a nautical service , demonstrates the solidarity of the VSU members. Other well-known events with the participation of the VSU are the Bregenz Festival , sea fireworks, city festivals and ship anniversaries.

See also

Web links

literature

  • Dietmar Bönke: paddle wheel and impeller. The shipping of the railway on Lake Constance. GeraMond Verlag, Munich 2013, ISBN 978-3-86245-714-4 .
  • Werner Deppert: With a steam engine and a paddle wheel. Steam navigation on Lake Constance 1817–1967. Verlag Friedr. Stadler, Konstanz 1975, ISBN 3-7977-0015-6 .

Footnotes

  1. ^ The temporary fifth member, the shipping company Rorschach (SBR), merged with the SBS.
  2. ↑ The VSU emerged from the VDV in 1950, which was re-established in 1952 after the occupation and with the Deutsche Bundesbahn successor to the Reichsbahn .
  3. ↑ Dietmar Bönke: paddle wheel and impeller. Pages 152–155 and Werner Deppert: With steam engine and paddle wheel. Pages 28-30.
  4. ↑ VSU press release
  5. ↑ BSB 12, SBS 7, URh 6 and VLB 5 ship units
  6. ↑ VSU press release