When it was introduced in 1906, no one would have believed that the Postbus would become a success story. Breakdowns, a lack of safety and high operating costs meant that the PTT withdrew the vehicles after only a short time and reverted entirely to the tried-and-tested “oat-power”, or the horse and carriage.

Success in the mountains

The Postbus really only made a breakthrough after World War One. And it was in the mountains, not on the plains. The PTT acquired hundreds of disused army vehicles and converted them into Postbuses which scaled the mountains in 1919 as the first motorized Swiss alpine post: the Simplon route was opened in Valais while the Reichenau-Flims route was developed in Graubünden, and was quickly extended to Chur down in the valley and to Laax in the mountains.

Graubünden – the first step is always the hardest

Today, it is impossible to imagine the Graubünden Alps without the yellow buses, yet they experienced a somewhat bumpy start in Graubünden. Between 1900 and June 1925, cars were banned from all roads on safety grounds. And the Postbuses were anything but welcome. In some villages, they were even pelted with stones. Resistance primarily came from carriage drivers and horse breeders who felt that their very existence was being threatened.

Onwards and upwards to success

The advantages of the Postbus nevertheless prevailed. Today, the Chur–Laax route transports over a million passengers every year, while the annual number of passengers using the Simplon route is about 105,000 – including numerous cyclists since cycle trailers were installed in 2016.

Anniversary stamps

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the two mountain routes, Swiss Post is issuing two special stamps: an 85 centimes stamp for the Chur–Laax line and a 1 franc stamp for the Simplon line. They are available from Swiss Post branches and at postshop.ch.

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