Public transportation, or öV (ou fow) as it’s
known, for öffentlicher Verkehr, is one of the highlights for which Switzerland
is clearly and deservedly well known.
Most have heard about how dependable it is but that’s only part of the
deal. It goes everywhere. There is no corner of Switzerland that cannot
be reached by public transportation, be it bus, train, tram or boat. Even the cable cars are considered part of
the network. The trains are expensive but
everyone who lives here gets a Halbtax card (~$150), which cuts the fare in
half. Kids sixteen and under are half
price anyway and with a Junior-Karte they’re
free when with their parents or grandparents. Planning is simplified as the ticket price
is not dependent on when you get it so no need for advance planning to snag the
best deal. And getting back to the
legendary dependability... this reputation is no exaggeration. It’s a matter of pride, not just with the
employees but with the citizenry too. It’s
evident when the taxpayers put their money where their mouths are. In 2014, there was a referendum to approve a $45 billion long-term plan to finance and upgrade the rail infrastructure. Proportional to population, that would be a $1.8 trillion commitment in the US. It was approved with a clear 62% majority. As an example of how seriously they take their commitment to on-time service, Lisa and Paige once experienced a rare late train going down to the Valais which resulted in missing the last bus to their ultimate destination. What happened? They, and everyone else in the train, were given taxi vouchers to cover the last part of their trip. The message was clear. We’re sorry and embarrassed and this is what we’re going to do about it. Lastly, in a nod to perhaps the softest spot in my heart, I have to mention this. On öV, Ellie is welcome to ride too. Otherwise, how would you take your canine companion on a hike with you in the mountains?
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