report 01 PostAuto bus winding Buses its way down from the mountain village 02 Next stop? 2016 Thunersee train station 03 Families rely on PostAuto buses to get Village Wilderswil special Därligen village to school, work and to do their shopping 04 PostAuto livery Saxeten schoolhouse 05 Towing a thousand litres of milk all Saxeten Skipintli 06 PostAuto is ’s leading aboard bus company 07 Ruedi Simmler, director —Switzerland of the region for 01 PostAuto Preface 08 Kurt Balmer, co-owner Too many countries of Hotel Alpenrose struggle to keep people Tt 50 living – and prospering – in rural regions. But the Swiss have a bright idea: PostAuto.

05 writer the monocle view: Marie-Sophie Schwarzer “It’s a hard life, you have to love being in What: Switzerland is the countryside,” says Erika, noting that photographer exemplary at making Oliver Lang her guests appreciate the solitude of the vil- its rural areas attractive, lage. If it weren’t for the PostAuto, many of productive and financially viable. them would probably never find their way — up to Saxeten in the first place. 02 Switzerland is good at In the countryside, buses are the ideal At twilight the mountain village of Saxeten containing 1,000 litres of fresh milk, which a lot of things but one means of transport: they’re safe, flexible in the Swiss region of is farmers loaded the night before. “We’re the achievement that gets and, unlike trains, don’t depend on expen- neglected in all the talk even sleepier than during the day. Only a only PostAuto that still delivers milk,” she of banks and watches sive infrastructure. PostAuto’s network is few cats can be seen scurrying across the says. “And on the way back we’re going to is the country’s success around four times the size of the national meandering roads, ducking between chalet pick up bread for the Alpenrose Hotel.” at making rural life rail’s coverage and therefore responsible houses. Yet at sunrise the scene comes to Switzerland’s iconic yellow PostAuto economically viable. Plenty for even the most isolated communities. life: people step out of their wooden homes is the descendent of the horse-drawn post 06 of nations pay lip service “The benefit of PostAuto is that we are PostAuto pointers to the notion of reviving the and in the light of dawn a bright-yellow coach that trundled along the lanes in the countryside but more often given the opportunity to make many deci- Mercedes bus pulls up at the station by the mid-19th century. These Swiss Post coaches sions locally,” says Ruedi Simmler, deputy Employees: 3,900 than not it still pays to go old schoolhouse. Three passengers jump on travelled to far-flung towns and would give Buses: 2,238 urban. Mobility is just one director of the Bern region for PostAuto. board and are greeted with a joyful “Hello!” villagers a lift as long as they didn’t mind Lines: 877 problem that the PostAuto, “In Saxeten we were able to adapt the time- from Carolyn Lansdell, who has been work- sharing the back seat with piles of letters. Passengers: 145 million combined with the Swiss table for the schoolchildren, for instance.” per year rail network, overcomes. ing as a driver for PostAuto, a subsidiary of In 1906 the first automobile-run post route The backbone of the PostAuto continues to innovate. This the Swiss Post, for just over a year. launched between Bern and Detligen, with 03 Turnover: CHF743m summer it launched the first trials of an (€680m) rural economy is still As the 20-seater leaves the village more quickly following behind. to as the “chauffeur” in town). “In the early farming, however, and autonomous shuttle bus in Sion. If it is a behind and heads down a serpentine road As the vehicles grew in size, so too did days the mountain road didn’t even have a here again Switzerland success, the organisation will be able to towards the larger town of Wilderswil, the demand for public transport. Soon the barrier to protect us from the steep drop.” Saxeten in provides a model to follow. diversify its rural offering across the coun- Businesses across the Lansdell takes particular care. She’s not PostAuto was born, leaving mail delivery up Since the establishment of the service numbers country carry out their try, although this scheme is still years from simply carrying commuters this morn- to another Swiss Post subsidiary. Today, it between Saxeten and Wilderswil in 1951, duty to support farmers, fruition. “We are in the process of trans- ing: there’s a trailer attached to her bus is the leading bus company in Switzerland’s the connection has vastly improved and Population: 96 from Coop supermarkets forming from a simple bus company to public-transport network. Every year 145 become a vital lifeline for the 96 people Founded: 1233 07 and restaurants serving a holistic mobility provider,” says Daniel Cost of a house: million passengers travel with the operator, of Saxeten who have neither a baker nor regional produce to Landolf, PostAuto’s ceo. “We want to test CHF500,000 (€460,000) exporters bolstering the which connects even the smallest of villages a bank. Villagers must take the PostAuto Key facilities: Fire station, national brand abroad. The new forms of giving access to locations – such as Saxeten – with the infrastructure into Wilderswil for their shopping or even Hotel Alpenrose, Restaurant government’s commitment that were previously not connected to the of larger cities. to catch a train to , a bigger town Pintli, Glühweinbar and to the Swiss tourism and public-transport network.” “When I first started we drove a beige in the vicinity. “For us the PostAuto is very skiing and toboggan routes. hospitality sector, much Back in the Bernese Oberland, Lansdell Challenges: To keep the Land Rover and delivered parcels,” says important,” says Erika Balmer, c0-owner of of which resides in non- is making her 10th and final journey of the younger generations in urban destinations, is also Paul Seematter, the patriarch of a Saxeten Saxeten’s only hotel, the Alpenrose. “Many Saxeten and remain an exemplary. If we want to day, arriving in Saxeten at 18.03. Next to farming family and a former PostAuto of our guests come up with the PostAuto.” independent village. see the countryside truly the bus stop is the blue-shuttered house of driver. “It was a good second income and I Erika and her husband Kurt are the vital again, we need to the community’s president Martin Boss, met the most interesting people,” he adds, as village’s serial entrepreneurs. They own all enable people to make who used to drive for PostAuto too. “It he shovels hay into his cowshed. Amid the the businesses in town: the hotel and the money there. A few extra makes us mobile,” he says. “There’s noth- bus routes would be a jingle of cowbells he recounts stories from three restaurants for which Kurt and his good place to start. ing here, not even a market. For that you his 30 years as a driver (he is still referred mother Ruth cook with a passion. need to go down the mountain.” — (m) 04 08 076 — issue 93 issue 93 — 077