Three days after a PostBus accident cost the life of a 10-year-old child in Forel (VD), some tongues are loosening. In particular that of a former employee of the company from Vaud, who worked as a driver and team manager for several years.
According to him, working conditions have “significantly deteriorated” at the yellow giant over the past seven or eight years. “The days are always longer, and the break times are shorter,” he assures. You have to imagine that timetables are often overlooked, especially on extra-urban lines.”
That is to say, a driver can take his turn at 5 a.m., drive two hours, wait at the depot, drive back an hour, wait two hours, and repeat in the afternoon, sometimes until the evening. Occasionally, work weeks last seven days and the rest time between shifts would be just nine hours. “It’s a hellish pace,” our source continues. It's completely legal, but I couldn't do it myself anymore. I feel very sorry for my colleague from Forel…”
The ex-employee calls for amending the federal law on work in public transport companies, in order to apply the same precautions as in heavy goods transport, for example. “It’s absurd that a dump truck driver has more guardrails than us, who transport children every day! If we do nothing, tragedies like that of Forel will become more and more frequent!” he warns.
For its part, CarPostal says it is “disconcerted to see that three days after the tragic accident, such reproaches, which amount to accusations”, are being made. “It is only at the end of the investigation that the causes of the accident will be known”, specifies its spokesperson Urs Bloch, who adds that “the legal requirements (e.g. law on the duration of work) are respected at CarPostal.
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