Over the years, there has been much political debate on how to limit the noise from vehicles. At the beginning of 2025 new noise rules passed by parliament in 2021 came into force. According to the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) any avoidable vehicle noise is now banned. This includes additional noise from vehicle modifications and […]
Avoid buying new electronic road tax vignette from unofficial sources
Every year, motorists in Switzerland must pay CHF 40 francs if they want to drive on the nations federal motorways – this map shows the routes. There is a physical sticker and an electronic version. The electronic version has led to a number of unofficial online sellers, which add a fee. Those wishing to purchase […]
Switzerland’s rapidly disappearing public car parking
Since 2015, around 11,000 public car park spaces have been removed in cities and large towns across Switzerland, according to recent analysis reported by Tages Anzeiger. More than 3,000 parking places have been removed in both Geneva and in Zurich, more than 2,500 in Lausanne, nearly 1,500 in Basel and around 1,300 in Bern. Cities […]
Switzerland’s drink driving accident rates by canton
Across Switzerland, there were 0.49 serious car accident per 10,000 residents involving alcohol in 2023, reported Touring Club Switzerland (TCS). However, some cantons had rates well above this average, with the canton of Geneva in the lead. In 2023, there were 1.09 serious car accident per 10,000 residents involving alcohol in Geneva, a number more […]
Swiss set to vote on night train subsidies
This week, the Green Party and the environmental group actif-trafiC announced they had gathered enough signatures to trigger a vote to overturn a government decision to cut subsidies for overnight trains. Together, they presented 58,640 signatures to officials in Bern. In Switzerland, a referendum can be called to overturn a government decision if at least […]
Use of self-driving systems will soon be allowed on some Swiss roads
From March next year, drivers of cars equipped with self-driving technology will be allowed to use it on motorways, reported RTS. This week, the Federal Council approved regulations allowing the use of self-driving systems. Once in force, starting on 1 March 2025, drivers with self-driving cars will be able to take their hands off the […]
Tourism one quarter of Switzerland’s traffic
New data show that tourism accounts for 25% of the total traffic on Swiss roads, reported SRF. The Federal Council report shows that leisure and tourism account for 53% of passenger road traffic, with the other 47% made up of commuting to and from work. Regular leisure traffic by residents of Switzerland accounted for 27% […]
Swiss to vote on plan to upgrade motorways this weekend
On 24 November 2024, the Swiss will vote on four questions. The first is a federal government plan to invest in expanding Switzerland’s motorway network. The government’s plan aims to alleviate six motorway bottlenecks. The Federal Council points out that traffic on the nation’s highways has more than doubled since 1990 and the estimated CHF […]
Switzerland remains the European leader in rail travel
This week, ahead of a vote to decide whether to expand the nations roads, LITRA, an organisation championing public transport in Switzerland, published its annual report on train travel across Europe. The figures show how far ahead of the rest of Europe Switzerland is on both the average number of journeys and distance travelled by […]
Winter tyre rules in Switzerland and its neighbours
Laws in France, Italy and Austria require drivers to fit winter tyres or carry chains between certain dates. In Germany, winter tires are mandatory for driving on snow, slush and ice. However, Switzerland leaves the decision on whether to fit winter tyres up to drivers. In Switzerland, there is no legal requirement to fit winter […]
