Fee for using toilets at motorway service stations

Categories
Travel

Owners of service stations next to motorways in Austria will be able to demand a fee for the use of their toilets, starting in April. Using the toilet will cost 0,50 Euros but there will be a service in return. Owners of service stations have argued for a long time that many people use their […]

Vienna University to charge students again

Categories
Education

Legal wrangles between students and Vienna University are possible as Austria’s biggest higher education institution decided to reintroduce tuition fees. The university’s senate opted for a comeback of the charges for the upcoming winter semester. The panel debated the issue yesterday (Thurs) following an appeal by the university’s board. The decision means that students coming […]

Austrian universities flop in global study

Categories
General News

No Austrian university has made the new Times Higher Education Ranking. Vienna University, Austria’s biggest higher education institution, was the only Austrian university listed last year. It was part of the group of universities placed between 91st and 100th in the Times Higher Education Ranking of 2011. The study includes detailed information on the world’s […]

Hundstorfer suggests to double truancy penalty

Categories
Politics

Social Democratic (SPÖ) Labour and Social Affairs Minister Rudolf Hundstorfer has said the fines for breaches of education regulations might rise. Hundstorfer said before the meeting of government ministers yesterday (Tues) that he could imagine to support an increase of the maximum penalty from 220 Euros to twice this amount. The labour minister once more […]

ÖH attacks minister as tuition fees dispute intensifies

Categories
Politics

The Austrian Students’ Union (ÖH) has accused Science Minister Karlheinz Töchterle of refusing to face the facts. ÖH officials said yesterday (Mon) the member of the People’s Party’s (ÖVP) team of ministers “must accept reality” and ensure public subsidies of the 21 state-funded universities of Austria. ÖH leaders made the science minister aware of a […]

WU wants higher budget

Categories
Politics

The head of one of Austria’s biggest universities has said the current situation at his institution was “dramatic”. Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU) boss Christoph Badelt explained yesterday (Mon) that the things were becoming increasingly difficult due to a soaring number of students who qualified to sit their final exams. He said the […]

Salzburg SPÖ says students should be charged

Categories
Politics

Salzburg’s Social Democrats (SPÖ) have made their appeal for tuition fees official. The provincial branch of the SPÖ supported a draft bill created by the conservative People’s Party (ÖVP) yesterday (Weds). SPÖ and ÖVP plan to finalise their concept for an appeal to the federal government coalition next week. This decision could intensify the ongoing […]

Parking ticket price hike upsets opposition

Categories
Politics

The Viennese government has been accused of “ripping off” residents by increasing parking fees. Viennese Green Party boss Maria Vassilakou said yesterday (Weds) leaving a car in the city for one hour would cost two Euros from March 2012 instead of 1.20 Euros. Thirty minutes of parking will cost one Euro instead of 60 Eurocent. […]

AKH docs fear job loss

Categories
Business

Fewer surgeries will be carried out at Austria’s biggest clinic if the government does not invest more, doctors have warned. The Federal Chamber of Doctors and the works council of Vienna’s General Hospital (AKH) said yesterday (Mon) fewer nurses would be on night duty in the coming months due to the financial situation. They warned […]

17-year-old confesses to 17,000 Euro fraud

Categories
General News

A 17-year-old boy has been caught after selling 17,000 Euros worth of electrical equipment that he acquired after forging contracts and identification in Salzburg. For more than a month beginning in April of this year, the boy completed contracts with different mobile network operators in Salzburg under a false name. Through these contracts he received […]