Transport policy receives ringing public endorsement

Swiss transport policy benefits from strong public support. Keystone / Christoph Ruckstuhl

Federal transport policies enjoy wide support among the people, according to a new study. It says Switzerland's participatory political system plays a large part in securing public acceptance of policies the people have helped to shape.

The study unveiled in Berne on Thursday says the government’s record on transport is by far the most successful, compared to other key policy issues.

It says that over the past two decades, only two out of 27 nationwide votes on transport have gone against the authorities.

The authors of the study, conducted as part of national research programme on transport and the environment, said an analysis of the results showed that the level of support by the authorities was the key factor in determining whether the people voted in favour of a policy.

The research also looked into the processes leading up to and following a policy decision, and concluded that Switzerland’s direct democracy had been an asset. The authors said the search for consensus before a vote had helped develop policies that were both efficient and sustainable.

However, they also noted that partnerships between the public and private sectors have been successful in The Netherlands, and say this is a model that Switzerland should consider.

swissinfo with agencies