Switzerland: Mega trucks threaten North-South axis

20 Jan 2010. The Traffic Club of Switzerland (VCS) and the Alpine Initiative held media conferences at the same time on Monday in Basel and Chiasso. At both ends of the Gotthard route - symbolic places of the resistance against overflowing heavy road traffic - the two organizations warned of the dangers of a repeated increase of truck weight limits.

"The 60-ton truck would jeopardize the modal shift policy – a cornerstone of the Swiss transport policy. There will be a shift from rail to road – what a nonsense!", said Anita Lachenmeier-Thüring, board member of the Alpine Initiative, and National Councillor of Basel. "If the 60-tonne trucks would be allowed in Europe, the Federal Council will be trying to implement them also in Switzerland. What happened to us with the 40-tonne trucks must not happen again. This would have catastrophic consequences", said Patrizia Bernasconi, board member of the VCS and Councillor of Basel: "The safety of other road users would be seriously at stake."

Meanwhile parliamentary initiatives have been prepared, submitted or approved in all cantons along the north-south axis. These initiatives ask the federal council of Switzerland to take a stand against the admission of 60 tonne trucks. According to an opinion poll by the LINK Institute on behalf of the Alpine Initiative 80 percent of Swiss do not want any mega trucks on the roads. Several polls in Europe showed a broad rejection of longer, heavier trucks by the people.

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