Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The Swiss Federal Council is proposing to raise the cost of train tickets by 10 percent and to double the annual road tax for which drivers now pay CHF40, for an autoroute sticker.
The price increases would cover the long-term infrastructure of the road and rail systems, says the council.
Today’s budgets for the heavily used systems do not cover the cost of the rail infrastructure as well as the need to expand the system due to the continually growing population of passengers, the federal transport department argues.
The council’s proposals, which will need to be fleshed out and then opened to public consultation, are in response to a popular initiative “for public transport” and will serve on the ballot as a counter-proposal.
There is clear agreement that more money is needed to expand the public transport system, but as TSR points out the real question is who will pay.
Links to other sites: Bern’s proposal with details of road and rail traffic forecasts, reaction of ATE (transport and environment association, which is sponsoring the popular initiative)
Source: Swiss Department of Transport, Energy and Communications
Electrical station, Geneva
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