Yes, tickets are compulsory on all ZVB buses and those of its transport agents. There are various options available to you for purchasing a ticket (analogue and digital). You are responsible for ensuring that you have a valid ticket when you depart on public transport, regardless of which channel you choose to purchase your travel authorisation.

This means that all passengers are responsible for holding a ticket themselves. Customers must have a valid ticket before starting their journey (actual departure). The purchase and ordering process (digitally purchased tickets) and the purchase of the travel authorisation (check-in) must be completed in full before the actual departure. With the exception of the driver (front door), no tickets are sold on the bus.

The fare stipulation that customers must be in possession of a valid ticket or travel authorisation before the actual departure is enshrined in Tariff 600 throughout Switzerland. This provision is binding and applies to all transport companies and all sales channels in Switzerland.

To ensure that the purchase process or check-in process is completed on time and the ticket is therefore valid, the industry recommends purchasing the e-ticket or activating the check-in before boarding public transport. If you are already in possession of a valid ticket before boarding the means of transport, you run no risk of travelling without a valid ticket when the means of transport departs.

If you are not in possession of a valid ticket before the means of transport departs, there is always a risk of receiving a surcharge due to the applicable regulations.
You can easily buy a ticket or check in on the way to the stop or before boarding. This means that you do not run the risk of purchasing/checking in too late or even forgetting to do so.
Automatic ticketing recognises to the second when a passenger starts using public transport thanks to the location system. In this sense, there is no tolerance.

The main task of the ZVB control staff is to check whether travellers are in possession of a valid ticket. If this is not the case or if the ticket cannot be presented, the ticket inspection staff will record the incident and issue the form "Travelling without a valid ticket" or "Travelling with a partially valid ticket".

The respective transport company always decides downstream on any goodwill. This enables a well-founded clarification of each individual case.

The industry does everything in its power to ensure that its apps and digital sales systems function consistently. Should this not be guaranteed for once, this will of course be taken into account at the latest when handling cases in the back office of the control centre.

• If you need to contact us in connection with a journey without a valid or partially valid ticket, please only use the contact details provided on your invoice.

Digitally purchased tickets and travel authorisations (check-in) are always personal and therefore issued in your name. Accordingly, it is one of the tasks of the ticket inspection staff to thoroughly check your personal details for digitally purchased tickets and travel authorisations (check-in).

You will receive the document "Travel without a valid ticket (TwVT)" if you cannot present a valid ticket for the entire journey. If you are travelling without a ticket, you will pay a surcharge in addition to the fare.

It doesn't matter whether you didn't have time to buy a ticket, activated check-in too late or can no longer find your ticket. In addition, your personal details are recorded electronically and remain registered for at least 2 years. The fare and the surcharge will be invoiced to you and sent to you by post.

You will receive the "Journey with a partially valid ticket (JwpVT)" form if you can present a ticket that is valid for the entire journey but is insufficient in one of the following specific cases:

• Ticket for the wrong customer group (e.g. ticket at half price or reduced price without authorisation)
• incorrect choice of means of transport (ticket not valid)
• max. 1 zone not purchased enough in the case of network tickets or max. 1 stop too few in the case of national tickets
• no change of route or different route (but same departure and destination station - or departure and destination zone; different, direct and comparable route)

Yes, the exceptions are as follows:

• Forgotten personal travelcard: you only pay a CHF 5 fee.
• Families: Children do not pay a higher surcharge.
• Groups: The increased surcharge is only levied once per case.

If you had a valid ticket or travel authorisation at the time of an inspection but were unable to present it at the ticket inspection, your personal details will be recorded by the ticket inspection staff and you will be asked to go to a ticket counter later or to contact the back office. If the validity of your ticket or travel authorisation at the time of the ticket inspection can be confirmed subsequently, you will be charged a fee for the inconvenience. The fee is a minimal compensation for expenses, but in no way covers the actual costs.

If it is subsequently established that there was no case of travelling without a valid ticket or with only a partially valid ticket, the recorded data will be deleted immediately.

The purpose of the recording or entry in the central information system is to ensure that travellers who repeatedly fail to present a valid or only partially valid ticket can be identified - even beyond the respective transport company. This can effectively counteract repeated misuse.

Yes, we can prosecute you for violating the Passenger Transport Act (PBG). Please bear in mind that you will incur additional costs (court costs, fines, etc.) if you press charges.