Tourists staying overnight in Lucerne will be charged higher ‘visitor tax’; a motion in the parliament seeks to punish motorists who drive too slowly; and more Swiss news in our Wednesday roundup.
Tourists in Lucerne will pay twice as much tax
Lucerne and its surrounding area are among of the most popular Swiss destinations for foreign travellers, but enjoying this beautiful city could soon become more expensive.
That’s because cantonal authorities are planning to more than double the overnight ‘visitors tax: instead of 50 cents charged per person per night currently, this tax will increase to 1.10 franc from 2026.
With this move, expected to yield 1.3 million francs per year, Lucerne wants to generate additional funds for tourism promotion.
READ ALSO: Which Swiss region has the highest tourist taxes?
MP wants to fine motorists who drive too slowly
Deputy Walter Gartmann from the Swiss People’s Party has submitted a parliamentary motion seeking to punish too-slow drivers.
“Traffic should no longer be disrupted by people driving at a snail’s pace on motorways and other roads,” his motion reads.
“If all drivers respected the recommended speeds, road safety would be improved, dangerous overtaking would be less frequent, and traffic jams would also be reduced,” he said.
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Zurich can’t give more money for undocumented immigrants
Triggered by long lines at food distribution points during the Covid pandemic, the city started a “basic economic assistance” project for undocumented immigrants in 2021.
However, the district council had decided that the project was unlawful, because it helped foreigners who lived in Switzerland without a valid residency status.
The council stated that municipalities don’t have the right to distribute public money unilaterally.
After that ruling, Zurich authorities announced that the project will not be reinstated until further notice.
But the Social Democratic Party has said it will appeal the decision to the administrative court.
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Basel-City approves rent contributions for childless households
People with children whose income is below a certain threshold have been receiving financial help from the canton to pay rent.
From July 1st, some childless couples will be entitled to these contributions as well, authorities said in a press release on Tuesday.
The amounts will range from 50 to 1,060 francs a month, depending on income, apartment size, and rent.
Couples with an annual income of up to 50,000 francs are eligible for these contributions, provided that at least one person has been residing in Basel-City for at least two years.
With this move, around 3,250 additional households will be entitled to rent contributions.
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