GA owners in Basel: New hope for cross-border public transport tickets!

GA owners in Basel: New hope for cross-border public transport tickets!

A look across the border to Germany ensures disillusionment among many Basers: The general subscription (GA) does not apply to the German section of Tram line 8. When visiting Germany, GA owners have to pay the full price for tram trips, which can be noticeably in particular on the money on the popular excursions to the neighboring town of Lörrach. As the Reporting of the Basler Zeitung has been negotiating for eight years now Regio Verkehrsbund Lörrach (RVL) about a solution to this problem.

The Grand Council has asked the Basel government to advance the cross-border recognition of Swiss public transport subscriptions. In fact, some improvements have been achieved in recent years. There has been a uniform tariff system with the RVL since 2018, the half-tax subscription is recognized, and the U-subscription of the TNW has been valid in the border area since 2019. German subscriptions can also be used in Switzerland. On the other hand, both the U-subscription and the GA are recognized on French tram line 3, which significantly facilitates cross-border mobility.

political efforts and challenges

Although progress has been made, a complete agreement with the RVL has so far been unavailable. Financial demands from Germany have made the negotiations a strain on the basis of the invoice. An originally planned plan B to offer GA owners a U-subscription was also rejected. Now the Basel government is planning a new attempt and relies on a political commitment to improve cross -border offers in public transport.

The role of international traffic

cross -border passenger transport is influenced in Switzerland by various national and international regulations. Public transport is very important here, which is offered across national borders. This happens both on the rail and road. For example, the neighboring countries of the neighboring countries operate the trains abroad, while SBB is responsible for trips within Switzerland, which favors international mobility enormously. Furthermore, an extensive bus line network has established itself, which connects hinterland communities with neighboring countries.

In contrast to long -distance traffic connections that have to run on a private basis, cross -border regional connections are often supported by the federal government and the cantons. However, this support is often dependent on specific conditions and permits, which makes it difficult for new connections and service providers to establish themselves on the market.

Developments in public transport and the challenges that are linked to the traffic planning show that there is still a lot of potential in cross -border traffic. It remains to be hoped that the Basel government can be successful in its negotiations with the RVL in order to meet the population's mobility needs and to promote the region both economically and socially. The efforts to create a liberalized, cross -border traffic market could not only benefit the commuters, but also strengthen the entire economic area.