The canton’s government is working on a plan to ban the most polluting vehicles from the city centre, according to the newspaper Tribune de Genève. The project, accepted by the parliamentary transport commission, could result in a ban on certain vehicles entering the city centre on days of high air pollution. The restrictions would apply […]
What the successful bicycle vote could mean for Swiss cyclists
In 2017, accidents involving cyclists resulted in 4,200 injuries and 40 deaths. A map put together by RTS shows where each of these accidents occurred – red dots are deaths. Per kilometre cyclists are 10 times more likely to die than those in cars. In addition, while the number of vehicle and pedestrian casualties has […]
Swiss to vote on upgrading the status of bikes and bike lanes
This Sunday, Swiss voters get to decide on whether to elevate cycling to the same status as hiking and driving. Currently, Switzerland’s constitution mentions roads and hiking trails, but not cycling lanes, something cyclists would like to see changed. Many cities and communes already have cycle paths, however in many places they are forced to […]
Nearly 250,000 Swiss drivers caught by French speed cameras last year
Many Swiss drivers holidaying in France last year returned home to a nasty surprise among the pile of mail waiting for them. In 2017, 249,236 were caught speeding by French speed cameras. The French government raked in over 1 billion euros from 17 million heavy-footed drivers in 2017, up 2% on 2016, mainly because of […]
Some Swiss Rail ticket machines set to disappear
Ticket machines once replaced many of the people selling ticket from counters. Now the internet and mobile phones threatens ticket machines. As more and more people dash past ticket machines with an electronic train ticket in their pocket, Swiss Rail is looking at phasing out some machines according to various newspapers including 20 Minutes. The […]
After the Genoa bridge collapse, how safe are Swiss flyovers?
On 14 August 2018 a viaduct in Genoa collapsed killing 43 people. Switzerland’s national road network, which covers 1,840 km, contains 4,548 road bridges and viaducts. The highest, the Mentue bridge, is 113 m above the ground, and the longest, the Yverdon viaduct, is 3,155 m long. Both are in the canton of Vaud. Another […]
Swiss commutes get longer and slower
As the summer holidays wrap up, many will be getting back into their regular trip to work. The number of people commuting in Switzerland reached a record 3.9 million in 2016, a whopping 34% more than in 1990. In addition, the average Swiss commuting distance increased. in 2016, it was 14.8 km one way, 1.9 […]
Might Switzerland test a 140 km/h speed limit?
Bern’s young Swiss People’s Party (SVP/UDC) is calling for a new speed limit of 140 km/h to be tested on a stretch of Swiss motorway between Bern and Bienne. The demand for the test, on a stretch of road between Schönbühl and Lyss, was made via a press release. The Schönbühl-Lyss section was chosen because […]
Traffic cost Switzerland nearly 2 billion francs in 2015
Traffic cost the nation 1.9 billion francs in 2015, according to calculations by Switzerland’s Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE). Most of the cost (69%) was time lost waiting in traffic. The cost of traffic related accidents accounted for a further 24%, and wasted energy (5%) and environmental costs (2%) made up the rest. Between […]
Switzerland bans new Audi cars from its roads
Switzerland’s Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) has banned the registration of generation 7 Audi A6 and A7 diesel cars, which have been affected by emissions manipulation. The A6 and A7 3.0 diesel models, which are required to comply with Euro 6 standards, were found to have been equipped with illegal defeat devices affecting exhaust emissions. FEDRO […]
