Previously embellished?

Confusion about Salzburg’s public transport passenger numbers

How many passengers actually used the trolleybus and local train? Exact figures have been available since 2023.(Bild: Tröster Andreas)

Green Party member of parliament Simon Heilig-Hofbauer now wants to know exactly. Have previous records for trolleybuses and local trains simply been fudged? Since last year, public transport passengers have actually been counted. Previously, only extrapolations were made.

Since last year, trolleybus and local train passengers have been counted. Before that, this was done using an extrapolation model. The model was based on counts taken in just a few weeks, which were extrapolated to the annual figures using a seemingly generous key.

How many passengers actually used the trolleybus and local train? Exact figures have been available since 2023.(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

The Salzburg trolleybus is said to have transported 43 million passengers in 2019 - extrapolated. In the real count in 2023, around 35 million boarded the trolleybus. The figures for the Salzburger Lokalbahn are similar, but not as dramatic. The Greens have submitted a question to the state parliament about the exact figures.

MP Simon Heilig-Hofbauer is to receive the answers today. However, he is already raising questions. Were the passenger figures deliberately embellished? Or: "Did the management pocket fat bonuses based on false figures?" says Heilig-Hofbauer. He has already announced that he will be submitting further questions on the matter to the state parliament and hopes to receive answers this summer. The Green politician expressly welcomes the fact that exact figures are now being collected.