Foreigners will have to pay a fee to drive across Switzerland; MPs order phone operators to act against fraudulent calls; plus other news in our Friday roundup.
Foreigners will have to pay a fee to drive across Switzerland
After a long-winded debate in the Parliament, a “transit tax” for foreign motorists driving through Switzerland without staying in the country will be introduced,
MPs overwhelmingly approved this move on Thursday.
The amount to be paid would vary depending on traffic density, time of day, and day of the week.
It will now be up to The Federal Council to draft a bill to this effect.
READ MORE: Switzerland’s transit tax for foreign drivers moves one step closer to reality
Phone operators ordered to act against fraudulent calls
Deputies have approved measures on Thursday aiming to combat scam calls.
Specifically, they demanded that phone operators block unidentified numbers.
Telecoms will therefore have to take action to stop unsolicited calls, increasingly frequent on private phone numbers.
They will also be required to block the numbers of subscribers whose identities are not clearly established.
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Massive rail expansion between Zurich and Winterthur begins
The SBB is launching the 3.3-billion-franc ‘multi-track’ project between the two cities.
A new tunnel will expand the line to four tracks, increase rail traffic by 30 percent, and reduce travel times.
This project will also expand the heavily used commuter line to four tracks with the Brütten Tunnel, allowing for express trains to run every 15 minutes. Trains will be able to travel at speeds of up to 160 km/h through the two single-track tunnels.
The planned nine-kilometre-long Brütten Tunnel is expected to reduce travel time by eight minutes.
The project will take a decade to complete.
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Digital driver’s license could become the norm in Switzerland
The requirement to carry a physical driver’s license could be abolished. The National Council approved a motion to this effect on Thursday, favouring the introductions of a digital document instead.
“This would greatly simplify the procedures, both for citizens and for the authorities,” said MP Benjamin Giezendanner, one of the move’s supporters.
The proposal will be debated in the Council of States next.
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