The works council of Österreichische Postbus AG (formerly: ÖBB-Postbus GmbH) and the Vida union are proceeding with an injunction and a declaratory action against relaxation of the corona protective measures.

The ÖBB subsidiary Postbus is Austria's largest bus operator and also the operator of Vienna Airport Lines, which offers three routes from Vienna Airport to the city center. These are the following routes: Westbahnhof via Hauptbahnhof, Donauzentrum and Schwedenplatz / Morzinplatz. These three routes are not part of the Eastern Region Transport Association, but operate at the in-house tariff of Österreichische Postbus AG.

Their works council and the Vida union react indignantly to a service mandate that is due to come into force on February 8, 2020. Accordingly, the Verkehrsverbund Ostregion requires all transport companies, including Postbus AG, to reopen the front door for the purpose of ticket sales. So far, the door near the bus driver has remained closed and the first row of seats has mostly been cordoned off to increase the distance.

However, this inevitably leads to everyday problems: Although there are ticket machines and the possibility of purchasing tickets via the Internet or apps, this is neither practical at Vienna Airport with the Vienna Airport Lines nor on the normal overland routes. The vending machines are not exactly easy to use, especially for foreign travelers, and in rural areas the public bus routes are often used by older people who have neither a smartphone nor a computer. This means that the bus driver is the first point of contact for questions and tickets. However, since no sale has been made, the situation is complicated.

Vida boss Hebenstreit takes to court

"We will not accept that the VOR puts profit maximization above the health of the staff and passengers", announces Vida chairman and head of the ÖBB group works council, Roman Hebenstreit, applying for an injunction from the ÖBB Postbus works council for Friday with immediate effect including a declaratory action at the court for an injunction against the easing steps mentioned in the service mandate of the VOR.

"Instead of forcing the installation of glass walls to protect against infection in the driver's area in the eastern region, VOR now wants to take a step backwards in the more dangerous and irresponsible direction - we will therefore prevent the corona measures from being softened by exhausting all available legal means." , so Hebenstreit further.

The union and the Postbus works council quote from the service order 2021-006 of February 5, 2021 "Measures regarding COVID-19 regulations - opening the driver's door on regional buses, as well as control and ticket sales" of the Verkehrsverbund Ostregion:

• “The front door will be opened again if necessary and ticket sales will resume.
• Drivers must wear an FFP2 mask when they come into direct contact with customers (e.g. ticket sales), while mouth and nose protection is sufficient when driving.
• Passengers must always wear an FFP2 mask. Exceptions are passengers for whom this is unreasonable for health reasons, which must be documented with a medical certificate. If the FFP2 mask requirement is violated, the passengers concerned must be excluded from the journey in accordance with the conditions of carriage.
• In order to increase the safety of the drivers in particular, the first row of seats can still be kept clear of passengers. Since a physical barrier is not possible due to the reopened front entrances, we encourage you to attach appropriate information to the seats in question, stating that the seats must remain free for safety reasons. If the number of passengers makes additional space necessary, the first row of seats must also be released.
• The last notices sent out leave rules regarding ticket sales open and can therefore continue to be used ”.

Malta successfully relies on key cards

Most of the residents of Malta and Gozo have a rechargeable keycard with which the public bus services can be used at great discounts. Apart from special cards, for example for people with disabilities or Gozo residents, these are not linked to citizenship or residence and can be purchased by anyone. There are also special cards for tourists. This keycard is held on a reader when boarding the bus, which then emits an optical and acoustic signal.

Initially, the sale of cash tickets was restricted by the bus drivers so that no change could be given. In the meantime, almost all buses have been converted to cashless payment, so that passengers can independently purchase a ticket if necessary. The bus drivers are protected by Plexiglas panes, although this is not exactly pleasant for them in the summer months.

Both doors are used on Malta and Gozo. Entry should be through the front door, and exit through the rear door. As mentioned, the drivers are protected by plexiglass panes in a kind of "aquarium". Due to the topographical conditions, the buses used on the Maltese islands are very demanding. Due to the many narrow and sometimes extremely steep roads, normal intercity buses cannot be used. This is why shorter midi buses are used. Some do not have a second door.

In contrast to Austria, there are stickers ("spots") on the floor of the Maltese buses, which are intended to make it easier for passengers to keep the minimum distances, especially when standing up. It is compulsory to wear a mask for all persons who are in public transport.