Drivers face 52 euros at ÖBB garages without transit ticket

Drivers using Austrian Federal Railways parking garages at the stations in Jenbach and Fritzens can face a bill of up to 52 euros if they park without a valid public transport ticket. ORF reported that the charge applies when a vehicle remains for more than 15 minutes.

Helmuth Lichtmanegger, a consumer protection officer at the Tyrol Chamber of Labour, said his organisation had received complaints. Customers may enter without noticing that the car parks are intended and permitted only for public transport users, he said. The requirement and the 52 euro penalty for entering without a ticket are not sufficiently prominent in the small print, according to Lichtmanegger.

Drivers without a valid public transport ticket are charged a two euro parking fee plus a 50 euro penalty. The garages are owned by Austrian Federal Railways and operated by APCOA.

ÖBB spokesman Christoph Gasser-Mair said he was open to improvements. The company could examine whether the wording should be made larger, although he said the conditions were clear and readable from inside a car. “We will be happy to look at it again,” he said.

The Tyrol Chamber of Labour is calling for clearer information before entry. Signs should state that only vehicles whose occupants can present a public transport ticket may park there, and should clearly explain the consequences to prevent costly surprises when drivers leave.

Tickets from the Zillertal Railway and the Achensee Railway also qualify as public transport tickets under the ÖBB parking regulations.