Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday
From train tickets to the price of beer, here's a roundup of the news in Switzerland on Wednesday.
Buying a ticket on the train should be permitted, government says
One of the national railway company's (SBB) regulations states that a ticket is not valid if it is purchased after the departure of the train, even if by a split second.
Anyone who does this, for whatever reason, is considered a fare dodger and must pay a 90-franc fine.
However, the Federal Office of Transport (FOT) said that in applying this law to the letter, the SBB is being “overzealous.”
As long as the passenger has a valid ticket, such penalties are unwarranted, FOT added.
READ ALSO: Can you buy tickets after boarding trains in Switzerland?
Price of beer to rise in 2024
Sad news for beer lovers. The new Carlsberg CEO Jacob Aarup-Andersen, which owns Swiss beer brands Anker, Cardinal and Valaisanne, has announced that the company intends to raise beer prices next year.
“Next year you will see further price increases from us,” he commented, naming the ever-mounting costs of production as a reason behind the planned rise.
The price hike will also affect the best-selling beer brand in the country, Feldschlösschen, which also belongs to Carlsberg, with the company intending to raise their price tags for some of their products.
READ ALSO: What will be cheaper and more expensive in Switzerland in 2024?
Decline in birth rates persists
The birth rate in Switzerland has been falling significantly since 2022 and latest figures show that the downward trend continued into 2023.
According to Basler Zeitung, the lack of births in particularly evident in the city of Zurich where 313 babies were born in October 2023 – a new low for city despite an increase in the number of resident women aged 15 – 45.
“Based on the latest developments in the data, we assume that the downward trend will continue,” Kaspar Staub from the University of Zurich, who evaluated nationwide figures in a study, said.
Demography researcher Manual Buchmann explained that stress when it comes to balancing work and family life as well as a change in social norms are partly behind the ongoing decline in births.
“The new generations are growing up with the idea that you don’t need children to be happy,” Buchmann commented.
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Buying a ticket on the train should be permitted, government says
One of the national railway company's (SBB) regulations states that a ticket is not valid if it is purchased after the departure of the train, even if by a split second.
Anyone who does this, for whatever reason, is considered a fare dodger and must pay a 90-franc fine.
However, the Federal Office of Transport (FOT) said that in applying this law to the letter, the SBB is being “overzealous.”
As long as the passenger has a valid ticket, such penalties are unwarranted, FOT added.
READ ALSO: Can you buy tickets after boarding trains in Switzerland?
Price of beer to rise in 2024
Sad news for beer lovers. The new Carlsberg CEO Jacob Aarup-Andersen, which owns Swiss beer brands Anker, Cardinal and Valaisanne, has announced that the company intends to raise beer prices next year.
“Next year you will see further price increases from us,” he commented, naming the ever-mounting costs of production as a reason behind the planned rise.
The price hike will also affect the best-selling beer brand in the country, Feldschlösschen, which also belongs to Carlsberg, with the company intending to raise their price tags for some of their products.
READ ALSO: What will be cheaper and more expensive in Switzerland in 2024?
Decline in birth rates persists
The birth rate in Switzerland has been falling significantly since 2022 and latest figures show that the downward trend continued into 2023.
According to Basler Zeitung, the lack of births in particularly evident in the city of Zurich where 313 babies were born in October 2023 – a new low for city despite an increase in the number of resident women aged 15 – 45.
“Based on the latest developments in the data, we assume that the downward trend will continue,” Kaspar Staub from the University of Zurich, who evaluated nationwide figures in a study, said.
Demography researcher Manual Buchmann explained that stress when it comes to balancing work and family life as well as a change in social norms are partly behind the ongoing decline in births.
“The new generations are growing up with the idea that you don’t need children to be happy,” Buchmann commented.
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