Swiss transport minister invites EU counterparts

Moritz Leuenberger has invited some of his European counterparts to discuss road safety Keystone Archive

Switzerland's transport minister, Moritz Leuenberger, has invited counterparts from neighbouring countries to discuss European transport safety.

In an interview with Swiss television on Friday evening, Leuenberger said he had invited transport ministers from France, Austria, Germany and Italy, as well as the European Transport Commissioner, Loyola de Palacio.

“All our neighbours reacted positively to the invitation,” Leuenberger said. “The meeting will take place as soon as possible, but we haven’t set a date yet.”

Leuenberger expressed his satisfaction over his counterparts’ spontaneous and unconditional response.

“Usually, it takes years before I can meet any of them,” Leuenberger said.

The Swiss president emphasized the importance of improving transport safety in Europe. “The best way to achieve this is to establish common rules,” he said.

Diverted traffic

Leuenberger’s initiative has come in the wake of the closure of Europe’s main north-south axis, following a collision between two trucks on October 24. The accident, in which at least 11 people were killed, forced European trucking companies to reconsider their travel routes.

This has led to a significant rise in cargo traffic over other north-south routes, such as Switzerland’s San Bernardino tunnel, the two French-Italian tunnels Fréjus and Mont-Blanc, as well as Austria’s Brenner Pass.

On Saturday morning traffic on the San Bernardino route had to be diverted yet again when a private helicopter crashed on to the A13 on the south side of the tunnel.

The 51-year-old pilot was killed but no car was involved in the accident. The road was re-opened at 14.30 local time.

Measures taken

Several measures were taken in response to the increased risk of accidents on these routes. At the San Bernardino, the Graubünden authorities decided to limit traffic to one lane from Monday to prevent collisions of heavy trucks using the 6.6 kilometre tunnel.

Truck drivers are also being forbidden to overtake other vehicles on certain stretches of the San Bernardino route, or A13, under the new measures. They also have to keep a minimum distance of 150 metres from other trucks.

Efforts are also being made to keep the tunnel open as long as possible during the winter months following the Gotthard’s closure, which will involve keeping the roads clear of snow at all times and making it obligatory for drivers to put chains on their tyres.

Emergency services along the A13 are also being intensified because of the increased potential for accidents.

French-Italian routes

Firemen at the French-Italian Fréjus and Mont-Blanc tunnels fear more trouble ahead as traffic increases with the Gotthard closed for five months and Austria limiting cargo traffic over its Brenner Pass.

Upcoming safety measures at the French-Italian routes include installing one-way traffic. Consequently, the Fréjus and Mont-Blanc tunnels will respectively accept north and south-bound traffic on alternate days.

swissinfo with agencies