20 Minutes. A man of 33 was caught travelling at over 230 km/h on the A7 motorway in Switzerland near Weinfelden in the canton of Thurgau. According to the newspaper Thurgauer Zeitung, his children were in the back seat without proper child seats. The driver, who was caught travelling at 231 km/h at the end […]
Switzerland could start charging drivers per kilometre
24 Heures. Less than two weeks ago it was revealed that the Swiss Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) wants to limit motorway speeds to 80 km/h during rush hour. It is hoped that lowering the speed limit and using hard shoulders or emergency lanes near cities could increase traffic fluidity and reduce traffic congestion. In addition, the […]
Restored paddle boat “Italie” makes its first test run on Lake Geneva
Taken out of service in 2006 for renovation, the paddle boat “Italie” left dry dock this morning for a test run on Lake Geneva. The vessel, which originally went into service in 1908, made the weekly return trip from Geneva to Le Bouveret and back for nearly 50 years. The 66 metre ship can take […]
10 km traffic jams predicted at Gothard tunnel
The beginning of the summer holidays got off to a slow start for those heading south via the Gotthard tunnel. On Saturday the queue at the northern end of the tunnel stretched seven kilometres according to 20 minutes. Seven kilometres is almost three quarters of the distance from central Zurich to the airport. Most holiday […]
More than 300,000 Swiss Rail fines unpaid
Le Matin. Of the 460,000 passengers caught travelling on Swiss Rail without tickets in 2015, 80% received a fine. However despite reminders, only one in three paid up, leaving 300,000 outstanding fines for the year. This represents a loss of several tens of millions of francs for the operator. Swiss Rail spokesperson Stephan Wehrle, confirmed […]
Could peak travel surcharges become reality in Switzerland?
20 Minutes. Bern would like to discourage travel at peak times. One option under consideration is charging extra for travel at peak times. According to official figures, there were around 4.3 million commuters in Switzerland in 2014, a little over half the population. Many travelling at peak times suffer from crowded trains or traffic jams. In […]
The new Swiss trains with WiFi
At some point between now and 2019, travellers on some Swiss trains will be able to connect to WiFi. The WiFi equipment will be installed in trains used for two routes. The new Giruno trains linking Zurich, and nearby cities, to Italy via the new Gotthard tunnel, and the former Cisalpino trains linking Geneva to Italy […]
Traffic jams cost Switzerland 1.6 billion francs a year
The Swiss government has calculated that traffic congestion costs the country CHF 1.6 billion annually. The report, published on 23 June 2016, shows that traffic congestion costs the country CHF 1.6 billion annually (2010) in lost time, wasted fuel, environmental damage and accidents. And these costs continue to rise. The cost of time lost in […]
New rules make it risky to hire a car in Switzerland and drive it in the EU
Rule makers in Brussels have been busy trying to streamline customs procedures within the European Union (EU). But ham-fisted drafting of the new rules, which came into force on 1 May 2016, has made it risky for EU residents to rent cars in Switzerland and drive them in the EU. In addition, an article on the British […]
Price watchdog says intercity Swiss rail prices too high
24 Heures. According to Stefan Meierhans of Switzerland’s price watchdog Surveillant des prix, train journeys between Geneva and Lausanne, and between Bern and Zurich are too expensive when compared to prices abroad. The price watchdog Surveillant des prix operates under a law passed in 1985, updated in 2013, and designed to keep an eye on the prices of a […]
