Rapid escalation in Swiss fines for freight trucks
Swiss plans to reduce freight road traffic are set to miss targets.
Keystone
An increasing number of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) are being pulled over for motoring offences at border crossings. Customs officials have reported 83% more violations in the last eight years, rising from 17,997 on 2010 to 32,967 last year.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/mga
A further 24,464 fines and cautions were issued against HGVs according to the SonntagsZeitung newspaper. Most infringements concerned overloaded vehicles, followed by sanctions against drivers who did not get enough rest. Some 100 drivers were caught drink-driving.
“Most drivers come from Eastern Europe, where working conditions are getting worse,” Jon Pult, president of the Alpine InitiativeExternal link told the newspaper. “It’s understandable that exploited drivers can’t take rest periods into account.”
Voters passed an initiative in 1994 to reduce the number of freight vehicles travelling through Switzerland to no more than 650,000. But last year the number still stood at 975,000 trips despite rail routes being beefed up in the alpine country, including the Gotthard base railway tunnel.
Last year the Federal Council confirmed earlier statements that Switzerland would not be able to reach the 650,000 limit by the end of this year despite more freight being transported by rail.
Popular Stories
More
Foreign Affairs
How a top Swiss university is screening Chinese students
Media: Swiss medical services done abroad are billed at Swiss rates
This content was published on
In Switzerland, some medical services carried out abroad are still billed at Swiss rates, despite costing less, RTS reports.
This content was published on
Sophie Hediger, a member of the Swiss national snowboard cross team, has died in an avalanche in Arosa. She was 26 years old.
This content was published on
Several Swiss films exceeded the 100,000 admissions mark worldwide in 2024 and received widespread praise at international film festivals.
Swiss Alpine resorts covered in white gold for Christmas
This content was published on
Many areas at low altitudes in Switzerland are enjoying a blanket of snow. In the mountains, intense precipitation has delighted skiers.
SWISS makes emergency landing in Austria after smoke in cockpit
This content was published on
Swiss International Airlines (SWISS) made an emergency landing of an Airbus in Graz, Austria on Monday evening after engine problems.
L’Oréal acquires South Korean subsidiary of Migros’ cosmetics brand
This content was published on
French cosmetics firm L'Oréal is acquiring Gowoonsesang Cosmetics, the South Korean subsidiary of the Migros-owned Mibelle group, for an undisclosed sum.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
After 20 years, Alpine truck traffic still not on track
This content was published on
On that night of February 20, 1994, then-transport minister Adolf Ogi must have had trouble getting to sleep. The nation’s voters had just accepted the “Alpine Initiative”. The “yes” side had won with 51.9% of the votes and 19 cantons out of 26, and the popular Swiss People’s Party politician had just acquired the dubious distinction,…
Trains take on more cargo – but Swiss target will still be missed
This content was published on
Freight trucks make 975,000 trips through Switzerland each year, according to a survey released on Friday. That’s a fall of 5.6% in the period measured, between July 2015 and June 2017. At the same time, rail freight traffic grew 18.8%, reaching a market share of 71% by the end of last year. That’s almost three…
This content was published on
With five million cars and 900,000 long vehicles a year, the Gotthard road tunnel is one of the major crossing points in the Alps. 58% of vehicles crossing the Swiss Alps transit by the tunnel, which links Göschenen in the north and Airolo on the southern side. At 16.9 km it is one of the…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.