The CFF announced this Monday that they would carry out an awareness campaign with the slogan: “Travel together with respect”. An image, representing a “cactus” character with another “balloon” character, will be broadcast from next week, in order to draw attention to potentially explosive situations on public transport.
However, respect is very present on Swiss trains today. “Regular surveys show that travelers feel safer on trains and stations than in the rest of public spaces,” CFF welcomes in their press release. But, there is always a but, “every day, CFF personnel are subject to an average of around ten verbal or physical attacks, some of which have gotten worse in recent years”.
Insults, insults, threats and assaults are all cactus prickles that can injure travelers and staff. The SBB is launching this campaign with its social partners (SEV, VSLF and Transfair) in order to “promote peaceful cohabitation”.
Concerning the image (cacti and balloons) chosen for the campaign, the SBB specifies: “It is deliberately neutral and does not explicitly show travelers or employees. A thorny cactus can hurt, a balloon can fly away or burst. Despite this concern for neutrality, the figures are still clearly gendered. The greenish muscular cactus is very masculine, while the colorful balloon doll is rather feminine. We will see in the coming weeks if these two allegories will ignite a controversy.
In any case, safety and respect on trains remain priorities for the SBB. Since summer 2024, staff have been undergoing specific training on how to react to delicate situations, particularly in the new Security Training center in Murten. Also since September 1, the transport police have been using bodycams throughout Switzerland to have “a de-escalation effect in the event of a conflict”.
