Geneva and France target cross-border gridlock

French cross-border commuters queue before the Moillesulaz crossing near Geneva, on March 7, 2014 Keystone

Officials in canton Geneva and neighbouring France have reached an agreement to help reduce the heavy traffic that regularly clogs up small border posts at rush hour. Every day, 600,000 people cross Geneva’s borders with France and Vaud, most in private cars. 

Swiss public radio, RTS, reported on Wednesday that a letter of intent had been signed by the Geneva and French authorities to reduce road traffic at small border crossings. The measures include new cross-border bus lines and a joint commitment to develop car-sharing and park-and-ride facilities. 

If the traffic situation does not improve by the end of 2019, a test will be carried out on certain roads during rush hour, permitting only buses, motorcycles, mopeds, bicycles and car-sharing vehicles. 

As the main roads into Geneva have become increasingly congested, traffic has moved onto secondary roads and to small border crossings, which regularly witness bumper-to-bumper queues of cars, lorries and other vehicles during busy periods. 

Following complaints from small villages and communes around Geneva about the mounting traffic, Geneva’s transport minister Luc Barthassat had threatened to extend the closure time of some small border crossings.

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