A small town in Switzerland has started a free bus service with no fixed route, no timetable and no final stop. The bus, called Line 0, began running this week in Baden, about 25 kilometres northwest of Zürich. It was created as part of an art project by Swiss twin brothers Frank and Patrik Riklin. The aim is not to help people travel quickly, but to encourage social connection.
Passengers can get on the bus, enjoy the journey and get off wherever they choose. Frank Riklin said people are usually used to travelling from one place to another as efficiently as possible. He explained that this project asks people to “let go” and take a break from their normal daily routine. Bus driver Thomas Bosshard described the idea as “beautiful” and said he liked its unusual style.
The Riklin brothers are well known in Switzerland for public art projects that make people think and talk. In 2017, they created a “zero-star hotel”, which was a pretend hotel room with no walls, ceiling or doors on a Swiss roadside. That project encouraged guests to think about problems in the world.
The brothers are also behind Bignik, a project where thousands of people stitch picnic blanket squares together to make one giant shared blanket. Like Line 0, it celebrates connection and working together. Organisers said they hoped the bus idea could spread if people continued to respond positively.
