Railways Intending to Provide Complimentary Seat Reservations (Courtesy of VZBV)
break down the barriers, y'all! fueled by public concerns over traveling long distances in jampacked trains during the pandemic, the German Consumer Union is putting pressure on the railway company to loosen up on seat reservation fees and adapt their system better to the new norm.
The standards set by the practice of social distancing aren't easily attainable on trains, so Marion Jungbluth, a transport expert with the German Consumer Federation (VZBV), wants the railway supervisory board—set to meet this week—to mandate the company to abolish the fee for seat reservations for at least a year on all tickets and simplify the reservation process across the board. Right now, a second-class reservation sets you back €4.
Jungbluth is not mincing words, vocalizing the nerves of her fellow commuters, "People are anxious about being stuck in crowded trains during the pandemic, and the distance rules aren't feasible in trains, so we've gotta ensure a smart distribution of passengers in all carriages." According to her, reliable occupancy displays will help travelers make informed decisions to hop on less busy trains. The key to accurate occupancy data? Encouraging more passengers to reserve their seats. And what better incentive than free seat reservations?
[Caption: Seat reservation with the German Railway, via dts Nachrichtenagentur]
By the way, the German railway operator, Deutsche Bahn, has previously raised eyebrows with a change in its seat reservation policies. Parents are miffed about having to pay for seat reservations for their kids following the abolition of free family reservations and the increase in fees for advance seat bookings[1][2]. However, the railway seems to be singing a different tune regarding seat reservations during the pandemic. The media is abuzz about Deutsche Bahn's anticipated participation in a unified ticketing system launching in autumn 2025, but there's no specific information about changes to seat reservations in relation to the pandemic[4]. Stay tuned, as the supervisory board meeting might shed some light on future adjustments for the sake of passenger safety.
In the ongoing discourse about passenger safety during the pandemic, Marion Jungbluth, a transport expert, is advocating for the German railway company to eliminate seat reservation fees and simplify the reservation process, as reliable occupancy displays could help travelers make informed decisions and ensure a smart distribution of passengers. This proposal, if accepted, could potentially also alleviate concerns in other industries such as finance, by making public-transit options like transportation more affordable for the general public.
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