Switzerland’s roads are cheap to use. A vignette costing CHF 40 francs grants unlimited access to the motorway network for a year. Switzerland’s central location and bargain road charges draw heavy traffic, particularly at Easter, Pentecost and the start of the summer holidays, when kilometre-long queues form at the Gotthard Tunnel as travellers, many from abroad, head south. Similar congestion follows when holiday makers return north.
Motions before the federal parliament propose a remedy: a transit levy aimed chiefly at foreign motorists, reported SRF. Drivers passing through Switzerland, such as those travelling from Germany to Italy, would be scanned by cameras and charged a dynamic toll. Fees would rise during peak travel days and fall during quieter periods. Simon Stadler, a parliamenatrian from Uri, says the aim is to smooth traffic flows and ease gridlock for locals who struggle to commute during holiday surges.
The plan faces legal and political hurdles. Critics warn the levy could breach Switzerland’s land-transport accord with the EU, which guarantees non-discriminatory access to Swiss roads. The transport ministry has signalled that the scheme may be compatible, but negotiations with Brussels will be required.
The Touring Club Switzerland, the country’s largest motoring association, has opposed similar ideas in the past, citing legal risks, bureaucracy and impracticality. Proposals to toll the Gotthard Tunnel narrowly failed in parliament last year.
The Federal Council must now assess the motions before they return to parliament. Until then, motorists can expect the familiar holiday ritual: long waits before the tunnel.
More on this:
SRF article (in German)
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