Anyone driving through Switzerland from one neighbouring country to another – that is, foreign motorists – could soon be obligated to pay a transit fee.
After debating it for months, this measure has now been approved by the relevant committees of both the Council of States and National Council.
Specifically, its aim is reduce peak traffic on the national road network with a traffic-dependent transit fee.
The measure received much support in the parliament.
“Our national roads, especially the major Alpine routes, are congested with transit traffic that brings no benefit to our country,” according to MP Marco Chiesa, who instigated this measure in the parliament.
“It is unacceptable that Switzerland continues to suffer the consequences of this parasitic traffic,” he added.
Stefan Engler, another deputy who supported the move, added that “the protection of our population takes precedence over the desire to reach the Mediterranean beaches as quickly as possible.”
Not a smooth ride
Not everyone, however, is in favour of this fee.
Some deputies point out, for instance, to potential implementation problems and significant administrative burdens.
As for the Federal Council, it sees legal problems in implementing this measure because a transit tax would necessitate extensive monitoring of all border crossings.
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Additionally, the relevant constitutional article states that public roads may be used free of charge.
Introducing the transit tax, therefore, would mean that the constitution would have to be amended to allow for the proposed fee, which would entail a referendum.
READ MORE: How Switzerland’s new ‘tourist transit tax’ for motorists could impact you
