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The paper accompanying public transport tickets are disappearing. And the little ones must not forget their Swisspass from now on.
A senior citizen from Zurich recently wanted to buy a new children’s travel card for one of her three granddaughters because the expiration date was approaching. Until now, parents, godparents, godparents, grandparents and other adult companions outside the family for children aged 6 to 16 could easily buy such junior and children’s ride-along tickets for 30 francs a year at the counter.
But this time the woman was told that was no longer possible. The travelcards would be reloaded onto the Swisspass. From now on, every child from the age of 6 will need their own Swisspass. And the parents would have to order and pick up the first copy.
Legend:
Will that work?
ZVG
Conversion is already underway
SBB and the industry organization Alliance Swisspass have started sending out relevant information letters. The innovation was already communicated last autumn. But together with other changes to the Swisspass, so that some people probably didn’t realize it at the time and are now likely to be taken by surprise.
When extending the Junior and Mitfahrkarte, the change applies from April 1st. Anyone who buys such a card for the first time must buy a children’s Swiss pass right now.
The “Espresso” listener does not understand why it should not continue to be possible for them to take care of these tickets themselves and take a paper copy with them. She considers the changeover to be “unnecessary and cumbersome”, as she says in the SRF consumer magazine “Espresso”. She now fears that in future she will have to carry her granddaughters’ three cards in addition to her own Swisspass. Because she thinks it is unrealistic that younger children in particular do this on their own and think about it. And she is far from the only one with these concerns.
“A big customer request”
Loading the Junior and Children’s Co-travelcards onto the Swisspass was a “great customer request”, says Thomas Ammann, media spokesman for the Alliance Swisspass. And yes, in principle everyone would have to take their Swisspass with them in the future. All adult companions are then entered there. As before, junior and children’s travel tickets cost CHF 30 per accompanying person. Exception: the parents only pay once.
Accompanying ticket on the adult cell phone: A simpler solution is needed
Ammann says that, especially for older children and young people who already have a Swisspass, it is an “extreme improvement” that accompanying tickets are now also available there. However, he admits that the younger children in particular could sometimes have trouble carrying the Swisspass with them at all times. In such cases, the ticket can be downloaded to the child’s cell phone via the Swisspass login, advises Ammann. The prerequisite for this, however, is that the child has a login. You need an email account for this. A bad option for under 10 year olds.
That’s why Ammann has announced that a simpler solution has been developed that allows you to load the Junior and Children’s Co-travelcards onto an adult cell phone and call them up there without having to log in. He promises that this should work from April 1st. You can already try it out in the SBB “Preview App”.