Transport in Switzerland

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The expressway network in Switzerland
The Swiss rail network

Passenger transport in Switzerland is regulated and supervised by the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) . Passenger transport and thus mobility in Switzerland is carried by individual transport ( national and main road / motorway ) and public transport ( rail , bus , ship traffic, air traffic). With a road network of around 70,000 kilometers and a rail network with a length of 5100 kilometers, Switzerland has a very dense transport network, which makes it the world leader.

The state-owned Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) is a leader in public transport . In rail transport, other railway companies in addition to the SBB working, so the room Bern - Lötschberg - Simplon the BLS AG . In regional transport, transport concessions for regular buses are increasingly being awarded to private companies, although many routes are still served by Postbuses . In long-distance transport, depending on the line type, the responsibility lies with the federal government or the cantons ; local and regional transport is determined by the cantons or communes depending on the line type. Individual traffic is a matter for the federal government, the cantons or the communes, depending on the type of road. Switzerland has had a national road network since 1960, which is the motorway network in the international arena. It is determined by the federal government and today has a length of 1700 kilometers.

Public transport

Public transport is very important in Switzerland. Switzerland, for example, has the densest railway network in the world, and towns without a railway connection are generally connected by bus or postbus . There is hardly a place that cannot be reached by public transport.

While the former state-owned SBB operates most of the railway lines, there are an unusually large number of private railway companies in Switzerland whose custody is either private or cantonal.

More recent major projects in the railway landscape are Bahn 2000 and the NEAT . The former focuses on reducing travel times between the centers. A new Gotthard and Löschberg base tunnels are currently being drilled within the framework of the NEAT. Traffic relocation ( HVF ) also plays a role .

Due to the mountains, there are also many mountain , funicular and aerial cableways in Switzerland .

Regional transport in Switzerland is subsidized annually by the federal government and the cantons with 1.3 billion francs. In 2006, 43.2 percent of the costs of public transport in Switzerland were covered by income. Together with subsidies from the state, a cost recovery rate of 99 percent was achieved.

Since 1996 the federal government and the cantons have ordered regional transport from SBB and other providers. The transport companies are prohibited from making a profit. If the transport company succeeds in operating more efficiently than planned when the contract was awarded, surpluses may be placed in a reserve to cover future losses. In many such cases, the grant is reduced in subsequent years. According to a decision by the Federal Council , regional transport providers should in future be able to freely dispose of a third of the profits generated; two thirds should flow into a special pot to cover losses. Critics fear the intrusion of financially strong foreign transport companies.

See also: Section «Switzerland» in the article «Long-distance bus services»

air traffic

Switzerland has three national airports, eleven regional airports, 44 airfields and five military airfields shared by civilians. The largest airports and departure points for long-haul flights are in Kloten ( Zurich Airport ) and Cointrin ( Geneva Airport ). Swiss airlines are u. a. the Swiss International Air Lines , its subsidiary Edelweiss Air and Helvetic Airways .

Domestic air transport

Domestic scheduled flights are currently offered on the following routes:

route Distance in km ( Orthodrome ) Airlines
Zurich - Geneva 231 Swiss
Geneva - Lugano 218

Private transport

facts and figures

In Switzerland, the following number of road vehicles were registered in the different vehicle categories in 2019 (bicycles are not included in this information from the Federal Statistical Office):

vehicle number
Passenger cars 4,623,952
Passenger transport vehicles 83,054
Goods transport vehicles 440,795
Agricultural vehicles 193,834
Industrial vehicles 74,085
motorcycles 744,542
Motorcycles including fast e-bikes 211,283

Motor transport

Driving license and driving license

See main article driver's license and driver's license .

A driver's license for motor vehicles can be acquired in Switzerland by anyone who has reached the age of 18 and meets the physical and mental requirements for driving a vehicle. Before receiving the learner's license , an eye test and a theoretical driving test must be completed. The learner's license entitles the owner to do learner trips with a co-driver.

Different detailed provisions apply to the different vehicle categories. What all categories have in common is that a practical driving test has to be completed in order to obtain the ID.

Infrastructure

Even though a lot is invested in public transport in Switzerland, the Swiss motorway network is also one of the densest in the world. Most of the population lives less than 10 km from the nearest motorway exit .

Length of national, cantonal and municipal roads (2018)
Total length of all streets National roads Canton roads Community roads
71'555 km 1,859 km 17'816 km 51,880 km

In addition to motorways and main roads, there are also many Swiss pass roads .

Switzerland has been a member of the Schengen area since December 12, 2008 . On this day, the border controls for cars at the border crossings were dropped, but not the goods controls. Passengers and people with goods that go through customs felt the change when the flight plan was changed on March 29, 2009. Swiss citizens, who have so far refused to join the EU, voted in 2005 to join the Schengen zone.

Slow traffic

Bike paths

The Veloland Switzerland Foundation created nine national routes by 1998:

See also: List of cycle routes in Switzerland

Hiking trails

Switzerland has a network of uniformly marked hiking trails with a total length of 62,000 km, of which 14,000 km are hard surface and 21,000 km are mountain trails.

The Swiss hiking trails (formerly the Swiss working group for hiking trails , abbreviation SAW t) is the umbrella organization of the cantonal hiking trail associations in Switzerland and Liechtenstein . Under the name Wanderland Schweiz , the hiking trails are also part of the SwitzerlandMobility project .

There are 3 types of hiking trails

  • Hiking trails : marked in yellow, can usually be walked safely and without special equipment or knowledge
  • Mountain trails : white-red-white marked, narrow and often steep, require surefootedness, good physical condition, hiking boots with non-slip soles and the ability to assess the dangers in the mountains
  • Alpine routes : white-blue-white marked, partly pathless terrain, may contain climbing areas and require very good physical condition, surefootedness and a head for heights, mountain experience or mountain guides.

The signs for hiking trails are uniformly yellow, with the tips for mountain hiking trails being marked white / red / white and for mountain routes white / blue / white.

SwitzerlandMobility

SwitzerlandMobility is the national network for non-motorized traffic , especially for leisure and tourism. In Switzerland, slow traffic is the official generic term for hiking, cycling, mountain biking, skating and canoeing. SwitzerlandMobility is an offer for tourists in the areas of hiking, cycling, mountain biking, skating and paddling. The project was launched in 1998. Working groups from the working group Wanderland, Naturfreunde Schweiz, Swiss Alpine Club , Inventory of Historic Traffic Routes in Switzerland , Swiss Tourism Association, Switzerland Tourism, Veloland Switzerland and Wanderland Switzerland are involved.

SwitzerlandMobility should consist of the respective theme countries:

The development phase will end in summer 2008; the signaling began in March 2008.

See also

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Danielli, Maibach page 22 ff.
  2. ↑ nzz.ch: Basel, the Jura and rail policy challenges of our time , from December 31, 2007
  3. ↑ a b Railways demand the right to higher profits . In: Tages-Anzeiger of July 11, 2007
  4. ↑ Message Taxpayer picks up tab . In: Modern Railways . Vol. 65, No. 718, 2008, ISSN  0026-8356 , p. 78.
  5. ^ Federal Statistical Office: Road vehicles - inventory, degree of motorization. Retrieved May 16, 2020 .
  6. ^ Federal Statistical Office: Infrastructure and route length. Retrieved May 16, 2020 .