History of PostBus
We are very experienced and are proud to remain in motion - with tradition and innovation.
History
The establishment of PostBus commenced in 1849 with the creation of a mail network using horses, the last representative of which is the legendary Gotthard horse-drawn mail coach and still operates on the Gotthard pass route and fascinates many curious onlookers. The first scheduled mail route using vehicles was started between Berne and Detligen in 1906. The network has been increasingly expanded ever since. In 2003, PostBus transported more than 100 million passengers for the first time. The first steps abroad were taken in the Principality of Liechtenstein in 2001 and in Dole (F) in 2004.
In 2011 PostBus rolled out its first fuel cell-powered buses in Brugg (AG). Furthermore, the first stations of the country-wide bike and e-bike self-rental system PubliBike were also opened.
2010 to 2015
| 2012 |
PostBus acquires velopass GmbH and becomes Switzerland’s largest bike rental self-service company. PostBus begins to equip its fleet with free WiFi. The roll-out is completed in April 2013. Switzerland’s first hydrogen filling station for buses opens in Brugg. It supplies vehicles which have been used to test fuel cell technology in public transport since December 2011. The free PostBus App is launched. It is available in German, French, Italian and English. The MyPlus loyalty programme is launched. Customers benefit from exclusive special offers, great discounts, reduced fares as well as prize draws and competitions. Switzerland’s first three PostBus vehicles using the lower-emission Euro 6 drive system are put into operation in the conurbation of Berne. |
| 2011 |
As first public transport company in Switzerland, PostBus moves ahead with the operation of hydrogen-fuelled vehicles. PostBus, SBB and Rent a Bike inaugurate the first PubliBike stations in four Swiss towns. PubliBike offers bicycles and E-Bikes for personal use in the form of rentals - thus completing the final mile in the service transport chain. PostBus receives a new brand image. |
| 2010 |
PostBus wins public tender to provide bus services in Liechtenstein for a ten-year term starting in 2011. The first hybrid postbus went into operation in the Bern region. It saves 20 to 30 per cent of fuel compared to a pure diesel bus. PostBus has launched its first bike-sharing service in the city of Sion with 50 bicycles at six rental stations. With LeisureClick, PostBus is the first public transportation company to launch an augmented reality application for leisure activities. |
2000 to 2009
| 2009 | PostBus wins several public tenders to provide bus services in France, including Mâcon, Dole, Agde, and Villefranche-sur-Saône, in the Herault Department and the greater Grenoble area. |
| 2007 | Mobile communication makes its debut |
| 2006 | PostBus celebrates its centenary. |
| 2005 | PostBus wins the tenders for the French towns of Obernai and Bourg-en-Bresse |
| 2004 |
Swiss Post founds PostBus Switzerland Ltd, which commences operation on 1 July 2006. PostBus tenders its vehicle procurement activities as part of a WTO tender. PostBus Switzerland secures the tender for the bus network in Dôle (F) for the next six years. |
| 2003 |
PostBus carries more than 100 million passengers for the first time. PostBus becomes the first transport company to be awarded the Q quality seal level III from the Swiss tourist board. |
| 2002 | Swiss Post introduces five flagship brands under the core "SWISS POST" brand. In addition to the new flagship brand logo, the name PostBus is now written with a capital "B". |
| 2001 | The Alpine Post routes are offered worldwide as "Route Express Lines". |
| 2000 | FlyCar: the FlyCar ran in 2000 in Ticino between Lugano and Milan Malpensa Airport in Italy. The service was withdrawn a few years later because of a lack of demand. |
| 2000 |
PostBus is commissioned by the Stiftung Behindertentransport des Kantons Bern (Foundation for the transport of people with disabilities for Canton Berne) to operate two special vehicles in Thun under the brand name VivaCar. PostBus Switzerland wins the WTO tender to operate the bus network in Liechtenstein for the next ten years. |
1990 to 1999
| 1999 | CityCar Martigny: the world's smallest Postbus, the two-seater, electric CityCar, was tested by PostBus and its partners under laboratory conditions in Martigny. The concept was discontinued following the test phase as the costs involved were too high. |
| 1998 | PostBus experiences its first taste of cantonal tenders and reinforces its position as a market leader in road-based regional transport in Switzerland. |
| 1996 | The revised Railways Act enters into force; the cantons are now responsible for regional transport. |
| 1995 | The PubliCar dial-a-ride system is introduced in Frauenfeld and Oron. |
| 1995 | 16 regional PostBus centres are set up in preparation for the impending free market. |
| 1992 | The opening ceremony of the PostBus station in Chur takes place in 1992. At that time, PostBus Switzerland Ltd did not yet exist: passenger transport services were still part of the District Postal Directorates. |
1980 to 1989
| 1980 | PostBus begins operating the city buses in Bellinzona. |
1970 to 1979
| 1975 | The PostBus holiday pass is introduced. |
| 1971 | All Postbuses and stops appear in Swiss Post yellow with a red band. |
| 1970 | The first female bus driver is appointed – in 1970 Claire Buner applied to Swiss Post for a job as a bus driver. She became the first woman to be accepted and received the necessary training. Starting in 1971, she worked on the Jonschwil-Uzwil route for around 20 years. |
1960 to 1969
| 1969 | The first articulated Postbus is brought into operation |
| 1965 | The first, modern, sheltered PostBus station is built above the platforms of the main railway station in Berne. |
| 1961 | The last horse-drawn mail coach is discontinued on the Avers-Juf route. |
1950 to 1959
| 1959 | The new PostBus operator vehicles receive a face-lift in ochre yellow. These vehicles previously sported the company colours of the respective owner. |
| 1957 | PostBus operates the first school routes. |
| 1956 | Ticket machines are installed in 150 Postbuses. |
| 1954 | 32 new Type IIIa Alpine vans are commissioned; group transport and extra trips are now possible. |
1940 to 1949
| 1949 | PostBus takes over the licensed routes in Liechtenstein using its own vehicles. |
| 1946 | Opening of the Susten Pass and start of an era which includes the famous three and four-pass round trips which still remain favourites today. |
| 1942 | The Alpine Post routes remain out of operation in the run-up to the Second World War. |
1930 to 1939
| 1935 | The first cab-over-engine Postbus is commissioned. |
| 1933 | The first Postbuses with passenger trailers begin operation. |
| 1931 | Postbuses are fitted with diesel engines for the first time. |
1920 to 1929
| 1928 | Swiss Post commissions a snow blower for the first time to help ensure the smooth running of winter services over the Maloja Pass. |
| 1927 | Postbuses begin operating over the Flüela Pass and 39 mountain roads are designated mountainous postal routes. |
| 1924 | Routes switch systematically to motorized forms of transport; the company now employs 169 vehicles. |
| 1923 | The three-tone horn is heard for the first time on the mountain routes. |
| 1921 | The Alpine Post is founded. The Grimsel, Furka, Bernardino and Oberalp Passes are opened. |
1911 to 1920
| 1919/20 | 40 army vehicles are converted into Postbuses: the bus company now owns 104 vehicles. As a result, the horse-drawn postal network has all but vanished by 1930. |
| 1919 | Opening of the PostBus line via the Simplon Pass. |
1849 and 1906
| 1906 | The first scheduled motorized service between Berne and Detligen commences. |
| 1849 | Taking over of the cantonal horse-drawn mail coach by the Federal postal service. |