Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Tuesday
Fines for people traveling without a ticket could increase substantially; right-wing party demands tougher border checks; and more news in our roundup on Tuesday.
Fare dodgers could be fined 540 francs
As the increasing number of people in Switzerland travel on public transport without a ticket, Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), along with other transport companies, want to target the dodgers by imposing heftier fines — especially on repeat offenders.
Right now, the penalties are 90 francs for the first offence, 130 for the second, and 160 for the subsequent ones.
However, the SwissPass Alliance, an umbrella organisation for 265 transport companies, is seeking to increase the chronic offender fine to 540 francs — enough to dissuade this practice once and for all.
READ ALSO: How much will I be fined for not having a train ticket in Switzerland?
Right-wing party to launch a referendum on tougher border controls
The populist Swiss People’s Party (SVP) announced that the planned proposal is intended to stem the flow of asylum seekers into the country.
In 2009, Switzerland abandoned its border controls when it joined the Schengen area.
That move was a mistake, the party claims, because it opened the floodgates to immigrants and asylum seeks alike.
“The asylum figures are far too high,” the SVP said. “We must end the abuse of our system by asylum-seeking migrants from safe third countries and prevent the illegal immigration of hundreds of thousands of people.”
The goal of the new referendum would be to institute a “widespread surveillance” at the country’s borders.
Children’s hospitals in Switzerland lack medical personnel
A number of pediatric hospitals suffer from staff shortages, forcing them to postpone surgeries and transfer sick children to other hospitals.
Zurich’s Kinderspital is particularly affected, but hospitals in other large Swiss cities are impacted by the shortage as well.
Treatment for seriously ill children remains guaranteed even with less personnel, but the wait in emergency rooms for children with less serious health problems can be long, according to Malte Frenzel, spokesperson for the Alliance of Pediatric Hospitals in Switzerland.
New report: Switzerland’s labour market remains in good shape
While productivity in some industries, like retail, hospitality and manufacturing, declined somewhat at the beginning of 2024, “overall, the Swiss labour market is expected to perform well in the current and coming quarters."
This is the finding of Zurich's KOF Economic Institute reported on Monday.
As for employment, the indicators show that “it will remain strong over the medium term," according to KOF: .
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
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Fare dodgers could be fined 540 francs
As the increasing number of people in Switzerland travel on public transport without a ticket, Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), along with other transport companies, want to target the dodgers by imposing heftier fines — especially on repeat offenders.
Right now, the penalties are 90 francs for the first offence, 130 for the second, and 160 for the subsequent ones.
However, the SwissPass Alliance, an umbrella organisation for 265 transport companies, is seeking to increase the chronic offender fine to 540 francs — enough to dissuade this practice once and for all.
READ ALSO: How much will I be fined for not having a train ticket in Switzerland?
Right-wing party to launch a referendum on tougher border controls
The populist Swiss People’s Party (SVP) announced that the planned proposal is intended to stem the flow of asylum seekers into the country.
In 2009, Switzerland abandoned its border controls when it joined the Schengen area.
That move was a mistake, the party claims, because it opened the floodgates to immigrants and asylum seeks alike.
“The asylum figures are far too high,” the SVP said. “We must end the abuse of our system by asylum-seeking migrants from safe third countries and prevent the illegal immigration of hundreds of thousands of people.”
The goal of the new referendum would be to institute a “widespread surveillance” at the country’s borders.
Children’s hospitals in Switzerland lack medical personnel
A number of pediatric hospitals suffer from staff shortages, forcing them to postpone surgeries and transfer sick children to other hospitals.
Zurich’s Kinderspital is particularly affected, but hospitals in other large Swiss cities are impacted by the shortage as well.
Treatment for seriously ill children remains guaranteed even with less personnel, but the wait in emergency rooms for children with less serious health problems can be long, according to Malte Frenzel, spokesperson for the Alliance of Pediatric Hospitals in Switzerland.
New report: Switzerland’s labour market remains in good shape
While productivity in some industries, like retail, hospitality and manufacturing, declined somewhat at the beginning of 2024, “overall, the Swiss labour market is expected to perform well in the current and coming quarters."
This is the finding of Zurich's KOF Economic Institute reported on Monday.
As for employment, the indicators show that “it will remain strong over the medium term," according to KOF: .
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
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