Switzerland to clamp down on foreign visitors’ unpaid parking fines
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Switzerland to clamp down on foreign visitors’ unpaid parking fines
The Swiss government has agreed to look into the problem of parking fines and other driving-related penalties handed out to foreign visitors that go unpaid.
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“Infringements of the Road Traffic Act have no financial consequences for many tourists,” declared Bern parliamentarian Ursula Zybach in a recent written postulate.
She asked the Federal Council to look into possible action, such as legal changes, international agreements and other enforcement measures. On Thursday the Federal Council agreed to her request, without further comment.
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According to Zybach, tourist regions in particular are finding it increasingly difficult to punish traffic offences and collect the corresponding fines.
The police usually receive drivers’ personal details and foreign notification addresses from car rental companies. However, often the bill or fine is not paid despite correct notification. And collecting fines in non-Schengen countries is “extremely difficult”.
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“It must be assumed that for tourist communities, these are large amounts which cannot be collected in this way,” says Zybach. In Interlaken, in the Bernese Oberland, for example, the authorities have registered annual revenue losses of CHF400,000 – and the trend is rising.
Translated from French by DeepL/sb
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