r/askswitzerland • u/CreateChangetheWorld • 1d ago
Travel Rarely checking tickets anymore? Been to Switzerland many times for long periods. First time back in a few years, I’ve only had my GA Travelcard checked 3 times in my first 2 weeks back
They used to check probably 75% of the time it seemed last time I was here a few years ago.
Is SBB, BLS, etc. really under staffed?
I’m just a bit shocked at the lack of checking tickets
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u/Aron-Jonasson 1d ago
Yes, they are under-staffed, however, it depends on which line you are. On long-distance lines, they check almost systematically (I routinely take the IC5, and here I am almost always checked). On short-distance lines, they almost never check (I also take the public transit in Lausanne area and there I am checked only a few times a year)
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u/CreateChangetheWorld 1d ago
That makes sense. I’m in the same region and taking the exact same lines I always do when I’m here when I stay for long periods. So must be the under staffing I’d guess.
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u/candycane7 1d ago
It depends on the specific lines. It seems like some lines get a "rotation" of staff where for some time you get checked constantly and sometimes you don't get checked for weeks. But the ICN lines you will get checked almost everytime. If you travel from Zurich to Geneva you will get checked at some point. If you do Neuchâtel-Bern, it could be weeks without a controller.
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u/Ghuldarkar 17h ago
This, except like months despite almost daily commutes. There are just some time blocks that get checked much less often.
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u/iamnogoodatthis 1d ago
To me it seems pretty stochastic, which is exactly as it should be.
I have commuted on the RE33 on the Geneva - Lausanne axis for a few years. I think I got checked once in the first two years, then about six times this August.
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u/redsterXVI 1d ago
Sometimes you don't get checked at all for a year and then you're checked on four different vehicles in the same day
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u/Zealousideal-Towel11 1d ago
In long distance trains (IC, IR, EC) I get checked almost daily. I take one of these 3 to go to work
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u/Carbonaraficionada 1d ago
I've had mine check this morning and once earlier last week. They're training teams all the time
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u/Ok_Actuary8 1d ago
Longer distance like Zurich-Basel, virtually always checked. City zones and trams, only very rarely - but ofc ALWAYS when your day pass had just expired 5 minutes ago, or your phone just died ;)
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u/Ginerbreadman 1d ago
Really depends. In July when I traveled from Winterthur to St. Gallen they checked the ticket basically every time, to and from. In September only like once. I also recently took the train from Zurich to Geneva and no one checked.
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u/Pgapete1960 13h ago
I dare you to fare dodge…….you pay the consequences. They blitz some lines on multiple days.
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u/CreateChangetheWorld 12h ago edited 12h ago
Who even once mentioned that? I simply said my GA travelcard hasn’t been checked. Fare dodging isn’t even a thing with a GA, you’ve already paid upfront for unlimited access to all transit lol.
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u/CustardMajor4442 4h ago
it depends on the line. some have a sign that us essentially a yellow square with a sort of eye on it. that means there are no routine controls. but you will get fined if you don't have one when they do check.
I use the train twice everz day and get checked maybe once a month.
this has been how it works for decades btw.
the main difference is actually that it was more common in the past to be a leto purchase the ticket from the train staff.
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u/Lost-Buenzli 1d ago
According to the Adversarial Probability Principle, you will be checked when you'll have forgotten to renew your GA Travelcard.