Police Officers Attacked; Rhein River Water Quality Declines; Monthly BVB/BLT Smartphone Ticket App Arrives; Swiss Olympic Team Fêted at City Hall

News For 6 September 2016

This last Saturday night, five police officers were called to the Tinguely Fountain in central Basel after reports of a fight between teenagers.  When police tried to intervene to stop the fight, they were set upon by approximately 200 partyers loitering in the area.  According to Martin Schütz, police spokesman for the Basel Police, the officers were met by insults and threats and finally by thrown bottles.  The violence apparently escalated to the point that the officers were forced to use pepper spray to defend themselves.  None of the belligerents beside the two fighting teens that started the fracas were arrested.  Lamenting the lack of respect for authority that youths today exhibit, Max Hofmann general secretary of the VSPB (The Basel Police Officers' Association) called for a new rule to require a minimum sentence of 10 days in prison for those that attack police officers.

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If you've been enjoying swimming in the Rhein this summer, you'll be dissappointed to learn that 2016 was a poor year for water quality.  The Basel Cantonal Laboratory released the results of its summer 2016 survey, the result of 21 samples of water from the Rhein, Birs and Wiese rivers.  Using a 4 point scale, 10 of the 21 samples collected at different sites along the three rivers were found to be in the lower 2 categories.  Such a rating implies that "health impairment cannot be excluded" from those bathing in the waters. The analysis focused on the presence and quantity of E. coli and enterococci bacteria.  The lab also pointed out that this was the worst water quality measured in the last twelve years.  On the bright side, the cause for the deterioration appears to have been associated with high levels of early season rainfall, which promoted run-off of organic materials into the rivers, and the late season sun seems to have improved the water quality in time for this year's annual Rhein-Swim.

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Extended tram subscriptions have arrived for the Smartphone!  Buying the monthly or annual subscriptions will still require that you download a new app - search for U-Abo in your App Store - instead of the one you may have been using for single-ride tickets.  The App has support for German as well as English and will allow the new purchase or transfer of a BVB/BLT monthly subscription.  The first of its kind in Switzerland, the App developers have made it super easy to upgrade from paper tickets and to avoid the lines at the public transport operator's offices.  Better still, if you lose your smartphone, or upgrade, you can easily transfer your existing subscription.  The App will even remind you via SMS message that its time to renew your subscription as the end of the month approaches.  BVB/BLT media releases for the project point out the savings they will realize as adoption of the system increases.

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On Saturday afternoon the Basel government held a ceremony to honor the Swiss Olympians that represented the country in Rio last month.  On hand to honor the Olympic delegation at the City Hall were Basel's highest dignitaries from the city and canton.  Amongst the honorees were Gold Medalist rowers Simon Niepmann and Lucas Tramèr and fencers Benjamin Steffen and Max Heinzer.  Following the official events, the athletes stayed on hand to sign autographs for fans.