The Schlichtungsstelle Reise & Verkehr e.V. was founded in 2009 under the name “Schlichtungsstelle für den öffentlichen Personenverkehr e.V.”. A lot has happened since then. Milestones are explained in the following timeline.
Foundation of the Association of the Conciliation Board by seven railroad undertakings and one railroad association. The name of the association from 2009 to the end of 2023 was Schlichtungsstelle für den öffentlichen Personenverkehr e.V. (söp).
Mr. Edgar Isermann, former President of the Higher Regional Court (Braunschweig), will take over the management of the conciliation board.
Dipl.-Ing. Heinz Klewe is entrusted with the management.
The conciliation board begins its operational work.
The Federal Ministry of Justice notifies the conciliation body to the European Commission.
The first airline becomes a member of the conciliation body. A further 40 national and international airlines will join by the end of the year.
Federal Government recognizes the conciliation body for the bus sector.
The Federal Government recognizes the conciliation body for the flight sector.
Recognition by the Federal Government as a "consumer conciliation body" in accordance with the Consumer Dispute Resolution Act (VSBG), which came into force on 01.04.2016.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in London also formally recognizes the conciliation body, which means that the conciliation body can now also conciliate on behalf of UK air passengers.
TRAVEL_NET, an information network of European conciliation bodies in the travel and transport sector, was founded on the initiative of the conciliation body.
The baton for the management of the conciliation body will be handed over to Dr. Christof Berlin.
Supported by the Federal Ministry of Justice, the travel conciliation service is being set up. The first member in this new conciliation segment is the Verband Internet Reisevertrieb (VIR).
Ten years of successful conciliation work is a great reason to celebrate. Over 200 guests attend the party at the Berlin Representation of the State of Hesse.
The Executive Board appoints Dr. Sabine Cofalla as the new Managing Director.
When the Covid-19 pandemic breaks out, many trips cannot take place as planned. This leads to over 41,000 requests for conciliation in 2020, up 58% on 2019.
As a result of the restricted travel activities during the pandemic, significantly fewer requests for conciliation are received in 2021 than in 2019.
As the pandemic subsides, there is a noticeable increase in travel again, so that the conciliation body once again receives a large number of requests after the first "summer of travel" in 2022.
Overall, the pandemic was a highly challenging situation on many levels for the conciliation body and for society as a whole. The conciliation body team mastered it with commitment and agility.
The conciliation body continuously receives numerous applications. To ensure that these can continue to be processed accurately, with a view to each individual case and in a timely manner, the conciliation body team is constantly reviewing and changing its working methods. Differentiated procedural stages are being established, processes streamlined and the IT landscape restructured. All in all, a phase of intensive, constructive change in line with the principle of finding solutions together.
Geschäftsführerin:
Dr. Sabine Cofalla
Leiter der Schlichtungsstelle:
Dr. Christof Berlin
Amtsgericht Charlottenburg VR29041B
Fasanenstraße 81
10623 Berlin
Tel +49 30 6 44 99 33 – 0