This does unfortunately happen multiple times per day. Sometimes it’s smaller incidents where the tram driver can get out and collapse the car’s mirror. Other times the owner of the car comes out of a nearby house after the tram used its bell extensively (like today) and moves the car. And then there are times when police needs to get involved to tow the car which often takes upwards of 1 hour.
The truly infuriating part is that if the tram damages a poorly parked car, the transportation company will have to pay the damages. Poorly parked vehicles never get fined and the owners will only need to pay if the car ends up getting towed.
Why do we accept that drivers sabotage a city’s public transport infrastructure like this?
The city of St. Gallen in Switzerland simply charges CHF 20 per minute that the tram is blocked. (21€ / $25) https://www.srf.ch/news/zug-blockiert-falschparken-kostet-20-franken-pro-minute
Still seems somewhat low but maybe a good start. Looks like the longest delay here in Bremen has been 2 ½ hours which would only be around 3000 CHF if they applied that here. Yes that’s a lot for a parking violation but it doesn’t make up for diversions, overtime and the delay caused to the hundreds of passengers.
The problem is that cars are revered in this country as if they were sacred objects. Data protection violations: dududu! Violations of fundamental rights: depending on your wallet… But cars are always sacred. They have the halo of insurance and investment fraud, even if they are parked on tram tracks or in the fire department access lane to a hospital.
It’s because your country makes so many cars. Same in the US. Cars are holy because so much money is made off them.
Where I’m from in Holland they are sacred also but it’s kinda a different reason, car ownership was a big symbol of economic progress in the 60s and people have become addicted to them.
3000 CHF can financially ruin someone who’s not doing very well. I’d say it’s enough of a fine.
Perhaps doing it the Finnish way would be better of course, make it depend on your income or net worth or something.