Engineers at EPFL’s DESL lab, working in association with EPFL spin-off Swisspod, have built a Hyperloop test track on the Lausanne campus in Switzerland. They will use the loop – a large vacuum tube for ultra-high-speed travel – to test a linear induction motor, an electric motor that can produce a levitation effect. Hyperloops, viewed […]
Swiss heirs must repay 15 years of any illegally claimed welfare
In 2016, the social security office in Zurich discovered a concealed bank account containing CHF 1 million belonging to a deceased man who had received welfare payments for 13 years, reported RTS. Over the 13 years, the man had received financial hardship payments, known as supplemental benefits, and health insurance subsidies amounting to CHF 140,000. […]
Zurich airport: 5% to 10% of passengers not boarding due to Covid document issues
During July 2021, around 5% to 10% of long-haul passengers, many in transit, were unable to depart from Zurich airport because their Covid-19 documents did not comply with destination country regulations, reported the newspaper Le Temps. In June 2021, around 700 passengers, most of which were in transit, found themselves stuck at Zurich airport. According […]
Immigrants pay higher rent than native Swiss
Those with a migration background in Switzerland are on average financially worse off than those without, according to data from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). And those with a migration background pay on average 10% more per square metre of living space than the rest of the population. In Switzerland, around 20% of those with […]
Infectious diseases down sharply in Switzerland with one exception
Most common infectious diseases fell sharply in Switzerland in 2020, according to recently published data from the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). However, one rose. Measures put in place to slow the spread of Covid-19 appear to have cut the spread of most common infectious diseases in Switzerland in 2020. The FOPH examined the […]
Queues reach 14 kilometres at Gotthard tunnel
Those living in north eastern Switzerland planning to head south for a summer break live in fear of the Gotthard road tunnel, which is probably Switzerland’s most infamous traffic choke point. The summer of 2021 is proving to be no exception. On Monday, 26 July 2021, the queue of traffic on the northern side of […]
Robot mowers harmful to hedgehogs, according to study
Quiet, slow moving robot mowers might look quite harmless. However, research suggests many are not, reports RTS. Research presented by Swiss Animal Protection, reveals robot mowers present a high risk for hedgehogs. According to tests, 11 out of the 18 robot mowers tested present a high risk injury of death to hedgehogs, particularly young ones. […]
Foreigners in Switzerland avoiding welfare for fear of expulsion
Until fairly recently, anyone on a C-permit who had lived in Switzerland for 15 years was able to draw welfare payments without risking their permit. In 2019, a new law changed this. Article 63 of Switzerland’s federal law on foreigners (page 32) sets out a number of conditions that allow residency rights to be taken […]
Hiking and biking gain popularity in Switzerland
In 2019, residents of Switzerland spent 200 million hours hiking and 2.4 millions went on an average of 15 bike rides, according to recently published data from Switzerland’s Federal Roads Office (FEDRO). In 2019, around 57% of residents aged over 15 went hiking, a figure 20 percentage points higher than in 2007. The steepest rise […]
Swiss supermarket Migros may soon sell alcohol
Currently, the Swiss supermarket Migros does not sell alcoholic drinks in its stores. Gottlieb Duttweiler, the retailer’s founder, instituted the policy to promote public health when the company was started in 1925. However, this autumn, the management of the cooperative is planning to vote on whether to allow alcohol on to the the company’s shelves […]
