Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Thursday
Zurich set to build hundreds of affordable housing units; SBB tests automated locomotives; and more news in our roundup on Thursday
Zurich to build hundreds of ‘affordable’ apartments
Tenants in the city which has been hard hit by a housing shortage and high rents may see some relief.
The municipality is paying 211 million francs for the “Harsplen” construction project in Witikon and will create about 370 ‘comparatively affordable apartments’, city authorities announced on Wednesday.
This will create living space for 700 people.
“By building these apartments, the city is making an important contribution to increasing the number of non-profit housing by 2050,” municipal council said.
READ ALSO: Zurich hit by affordable housing shortage amid record-high immigration
How do authorities check electronic motorway stickers?
While the paper vignettes affixed to a car’s windshield are easily visible, the electronic version, used by 2.5 million motorists, is not.
This means that out of 10.5 million vehicles that drive on Swiss motorways each years, a fifth don’t have an easily noticeable vignette.
How do the authorities responsible for checking the stickers deal with this situation?
According to Nadia Passalacqua, spokesperson for the Federal Office of Customs and Border Security (UDSC), “the control of the electronic tag takes place through random checks of the license plate. At borders, they are carried out by UDSC collaborators, while within the country it is the responsibility of the police.”
“During the check, the license plate of the vehicle in question is compared with the database of registrations using technical aids or an app," she added.
Eventually, the physical sticker will be eliminated in favour of its e-version, Passalacqua said on Wednesday.
That moment will come when the paper vignette will generate less than 10 percent of overall revenue.
Remotely-controlled locomotives are tested in Switzerland
Trains may not have any conductors in the future if the experiment currently underway proves successful.
Swiss national railways, SBB, are testing a system where diver-less locomotives are put into motion by a remote control device — the first such trial conducted (no pun intended) on an European level.
However, don’t expect to ride such a train just yet: “Technical and legal adaptations are still necessary before generalising the use of this a device,” the SBB said.
Artificial intelligence has created a ‘whiff’ of bitcoins
PostFinance, a bank owned wholly by the Post Office which, in turn, is owned by the Swiss government, has branched out into perfume business.
But not just any perfume, but one smelling, appropriately enough, of cryptocurrency.
And that’s not the only odd thing about this particular novely: the perfume, called “Le Crypt Eau de Parfum,” was created by artificial intelligence.
The latter "interpreted and associated the values of the bank with bergamot, mint and lavender, which symbolise confidence and security,” Postfinance said.
Some 1,000 vials filled with the concoction (worth about 100 francs each) were distributed to 15 PostFinance branches, where they are available to the bank’s customers for free until April 30th.
Recipients will automatically be entered into the prize draw to win three bitcoins.
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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Zurich to build hundreds of ‘affordable’ apartments
Tenants in the city which has been hard hit by a housing shortage and high rents may see some relief.
The municipality is paying 211 million francs for the “Harsplen” construction project in Witikon and will create about 370 ‘comparatively affordable apartments’, city authorities announced on Wednesday.
This will create living space for 700 people.
“By building these apartments, the city is making an important contribution to increasing the number of non-profit housing by 2050,” municipal council said.
READ ALSO: Zurich hit by affordable housing shortage amid record-high immigration
How do authorities check electronic motorway stickers?
While the paper vignettes affixed to a car’s windshield are easily visible, the electronic version, used by 2.5 million motorists, is not.
This means that out of 10.5 million vehicles that drive on Swiss motorways each years, a fifth don’t have an easily noticeable vignette.
How do the authorities responsible for checking the stickers deal with this situation?
According to Nadia Passalacqua, spokesperson for the Federal Office of Customs and Border Security (UDSC), “the control of the electronic tag takes place through random checks of the license plate. At borders, they are carried out by UDSC collaborators, while within the country it is the responsibility of the police.”
“During the check, the license plate of the vehicle in question is compared with the database of registrations using technical aids or an app," she added.
Eventually, the physical sticker will be eliminated in favour of its e-version, Passalacqua said on Wednesday.
That moment will come when the paper vignette will generate less than 10 percent of overall revenue.
Remotely-controlled locomotives are tested in Switzerland
Trains may not have any conductors in the future if the experiment currently underway proves successful.
Swiss national railways, SBB, are testing a system where diver-less locomotives are put into motion by a remote control device — the first such trial conducted (no pun intended) on an European level.
However, don’t expect to ride such a train just yet: “Technical and legal adaptations are still necessary before generalising the use of this a device,” the SBB said.
Artificial intelligence has created a ‘whiff’ of bitcoins
PostFinance, a bank owned wholly by the Post Office which, in turn, is owned by the Swiss government, has branched out into perfume business.
But not just any perfume, but one smelling, appropriately enough, of cryptocurrency.
And that’s not the only odd thing about this particular novely: the perfume, called “Le Crypt Eau de Parfum,” was created by artificial intelligence.
The latter "interpreted and associated the values of the bank with bergamot, mint and lavender, which symbolise confidence and security,” Postfinance said.
Some 1,000 vials filled with the concoction (worth about 100 francs each) were distributed to 15 PostFinance branches, where they are available to the bank’s customers for free until April 30th.
Recipients will automatically be entered into the prize draw to win three bitcoins.
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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