Swiss roads are too congested, say survey respondents
A large proportion of the Swiss population reckons there are too many people on the roads, according to a survey published on Friday.
Almost 60% of those polled think that widening busy motorways is a good idea. They also favour the development of freight transport via rail, and want to develop and improve public transport and cycle paths.
The surveyExternal link of 2,000 people, carried out by the Sotomo institute, also shows that most participants feel that travelling on the roads means more congestion than travelling by public transport.
+ “Dialogue”: how the Swiss deal with traffic jams
The Swiss Association of Road and Transport Professionals, which commissioned the survey, is focusing its communication on motorway expansion. It is in favour of several expansion projects on which the Swiss people will have to vote in a few months’ time.
Opponents of the motorway expansion read the situation otherwise: for David Raedler, co-chairman of a transport and environment association, the survey shows that while a large majority of the population do see a congestion issue, the percentage who say that action should be taken – in particular by widening roads – is not as high.
The challenge for both sides will now be to convince people of the best solution to adopt to relieve traffic jams. Studies of this kind will no doubt fuel the debate – as did the numbers published earlier this week by the Swiss government on the record number of traffic jams last year.
Adapted from French by DeepL/dos
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