Swiss Rail has announced it will experiment with smoking restrictions at various train stations in response to customer complaints about second-hand smoke and cigarette butts on platforms impacting on comfort. The tests will be run during 2018 in 5 or 6 stations. A document obtained by the newspaper NZZ listed the stations involved in the […]
Saving 4 tonnes of ‘junk’ from landfill: Swiss repair cafés
Switzerland’s Repair Cafés, part of a global movement started in the Netherlands, are turning the old saying: one person’s junk is another’s treasure, into: your junk is your treasure. On October 27th, about 1,500 items – everything from stuffed bears and toy tractors to vacuum cleaners and digital cameras – were saved from Swiss junk piles, […]
Why men in Switzerland die before women
It’s Movember, the season of unlikely moustaches, grown to highlight men’s health. Causes of disease and death are not always clear, however, gender differences in lifestyle and disease offer some clues to lower male life expectancy. Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office (FSO) puts male life expectancy at 81.5 years, 3.8 years behind women, who live 85.2 […]
Swiss hate lateness – a study shows just how much
In Switzerland, punctuality is important. Expectations vary by age, gender, political leaning and language. Someone among the 15% that frown upon any degree of tardiness is most likely to be male, over 65, politically right, and Italian speaking, according to figures published in a survey by Sotomo. The survey, done on behalf of the insurance […]
How Singaporean passports outrank Swiss ones
Some passports are better than others. To make comparisons easy, Arton Capital has created the Passport Index. The 2017 index ranks 199 passports based on the number of countries the holder can travel to with ease. At the bottom is Afghanistan. Holders of this passport need a visa ahead of travelling for 89% of the countries on the […]
Switzerland moves closer to an international majority
A recent study on the migration backgrounds of Swiss residents shows just how international Switzerland’s population is. The percentage of foreigners in the population at the end of 2016 was 25%1. However, when the definition is expanded to include everyone with a migration background, it rises to 37%. The extra 12% includes naturalised Swiss citizens, except […]
Swiss government says it has a plan to contain healthcare costs
As next year’s health premium bills find their way into Swiss mail or email boxes, the reality of another round of price increases starts to bite. Earlier this week, Switzerland’s Federal Council unveiled 38 measures that will be considered as part of a plan to tackle Switzerland’s rising health costs. A final plan will be presented […]
Call to ban outdoor smoking in one Swiss canton
A politician in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino wants an end to smoking outside in public spaces. In addition, she would like smoke-free areas in outdoor parts of restaurants. Nadia Ghisolfi, a member of the Christian Democratic People’s Party of Switzerland (PDC/CVP) in Ticino, has called for several smoking bans and a change to smoking […]
Nearly two thirds of Swiss annoyed by their neighbours
64% of those surveyed in a recently published study, say they are bothered by their neighbours. Some are driven to take legal action while others pack up and leave. Noise was the most widespread complaint. 28% complained of this. Loud conversations, noisy children, banging, loud music and parties were the most frequent noise problems. Other […]
New fines for dog owners, spitters and sloppy rubbish sorters in Lausanne
From 1 November 2017, Lausanne will slap big fines on those littering or soiling its public spaces. Spitting in or near a public a public space will come with a CHF 100 fine. Urinating and defecating will cost CHF 200. Dog owners will face fines for failing to clean up dog poo (CHF 150), allowing […]
