Proposal launched in Zurich for 1 franc per day travel pass
The Social Democratic Party (SP) wants to see a 365-franc yearly public transport pass introduced for residents in Zurich.
The party has launched a referendum bid to halve the price of the annual ticket for the 110 zone in Zurich - for residents of the city only.
Currently, an annual season ticket from the city's transport provider ZVV for the zone, which covers the city and nearby suburbs, costs 782 francs a year. This is too high, according to the city's SP.
SP co-president Oliver Heimgartner told the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper that the reduction in price would relieve families financially and encourage more people to take public transport instead of the car.
"If you want people to switch to climate-friendly transport offers, you have to make them more attractive," Heimgartner said.
He added that many families in Switzerland have to pay more than 2.500 francs a year for ZVV subscriptions.
READ ALSO: Why Switzerland has the most expensive public transport in the world
The party will start collecting signatures for the initiative after the summer.
Three thousand signatures are needed for the proposal to go to a referendum, which Zurich residents would then be able to vote on.
The SP had the reduced-cost transport idea a year and a half ago, however, the proposal was rejected by the city parliament.
Opponents of the idea - from both the left and the right - said it was an example of the Giesskannenprinzip or "watering can principle", an expression meaning that money flows through all holes like water from a watering can to everyone, rather than targeting people who really need it.
But the SP said it felt now was the time to launch the campaign for residents themselves to have their say.
It comes as ZVV announced it would soon raise the prices of public transport.
The public transport provider said it was expecting a deficit of half a billion francs due to higher inflation and rising energy costs, among other factors.
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The party has launched a referendum bid to halve the price of the annual ticket for the 110 zone in Zurich - for residents of the city only.
Currently, an annual season ticket from the city's transport provider ZVV for the zone, which covers the city and nearby suburbs, costs 782 francs a year. This is too high, according to the city's SP.
SP co-president Oliver Heimgartner told the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper that the reduction in price would relieve families financially and encourage more people to take public transport instead of the car.
"If you want people to switch to climate-friendly transport offers, you have to make them more attractive," Heimgartner said.
He added that many families in Switzerland have to pay more than 2.500 francs a year for ZVV subscriptions.
READ ALSO: Why Switzerland has the most expensive public transport in the world
The party will start collecting signatures for the initiative after the summer.
Three thousand signatures are needed for the proposal to go to a referendum, which Zurich residents would then be able to vote on.
The SP had the reduced-cost transport idea a year and a half ago, however, the proposal was rejected by the city parliament.
Opponents of the idea - from both the left and the right - said it was an example of the Giesskannenprinzip or "watering can principle", an expression meaning that money flows through all holes like water from a watering can to everyone, rather than targeting people who really need it.
But the SP said it felt now was the time to launch the campaign for residents themselves to have their say.
It comes as ZVV announced it would soon raise the prices of public transport.
The public transport provider said it was expecting a deficit of half a billion francs due to higher inflation and rising energy costs, among other factors.
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