Swiss city does U-turn over 100-franc fine for 5-year-old girl without ticket
The Local - [email protected]
Published: 19 Aug, 2019 CET.
Updated: Tue 20 Aug 2019 08:10 CET
Public transport authorities in the northern Swiss city of Schaffhausen have decided not to push ahead with a controversial 100-franc fine for a five-year-old girl who was recently caught travelling on a bus without a valid ticket.
The young girl was fined while travelling with her ten-year-old sister, as The Local reported last week.
Under Swiss rules, children under six travel free, but only if they are accompanied by someone aged 12 or older.
Was the ticket inspector right to fine the five year old for travelling without a ticket?
Yes
No
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Speaking about the case, Switzerland’s public transport union CH-Direct said the ticket inspector had acted correctly, but added there was “scope for discretion”.
The union said it would now review the current rules to see if they were appropriate, according to regional daily Schaffhauser Nachrichten.
Meanwhile, the mother of the girl fined last week said she was happy that the "stupid rule" would now be reviewed.
In comments made to Swiss national broadcaster SRF, she said her ten-year-old was also delighted but that that the whole experience had been no big deal for her younger daughter.
"She is five. The whole thing passed her by," she said.
The decision to fine the girl stirred plenty of debate among readers of The Local as can be see in the comments section of our Facebook post here.
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The young girl was fined while travelling with her ten-year-old sister, as The Local reported last week.
Under Swiss rules, children under six travel free, but only if they are accompanied by someone aged 12 or older.
Was the ticket inspector right to fine the five year old for travelling without a ticket?
Yes
No
Quiz Maker - powered by Riddle
Speaking about the case, Switzerland’s public transport union CH-Direct said the ticket inspector had acted correctly, but added there was “scope for discretion”.
The union said it would now review the current rules to see if they were appropriate, according to regional daily Schaffhauser Nachrichten.
Meanwhile, the mother of the girl fined last week said she was happy that the "stupid rule" would now be reviewed.
In comments made to Swiss national broadcaster SRF, she said her ten-year-old was also delighted but that that the whole experience had been no big deal for her younger daughter.
"She is five. The whole thing passed her by," she said.
The decision to fine the girl stirred plenty of debate among readers of The Local as can be see in the comments section of our Facebook post here.
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