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Lucerne coach tax puts brakes on tourist influx

Fewer coaches stop in Lucerne city centre due to charges
The centre of Lucerne is traditionally a busy stop-off point for coaches. Keystone-SDA

The number of tourist coaches stopping at Schwanenplatz in the centre of Lucerne was down by two-thirds in April, compared to the same month last year. This is a direct consequence of the introduction of a coach parking tax introduced on April 1, authorities say.

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Fewer coaches also stopped at Löwenplatz in Lucerne. The decrease compared to the same period last year was 22%, the city of Lucerne said.

In total, 2,700 coaches parked in the three car parks Löwenplatz, Schwanenplatz and Kasernenplatz in the first 30 days since the introduction of the parking fee. The latter is less frequented by coaches.

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In contrast, the number of stops at Inseliquai, near the lake, has increased. More coaches also stopped at the Brüelmoos and Rösslimatt car parks in Kriens. According to the press release, this is due to the fact that the stopping fee already includes the parking fee for these two car parks.

The introduction of the tax should lead to a better distribution of coaches in the city and relieve the heavily frequented car parks. The city of Lucerne wants to draw a conclusion about the effect in autumn 2025.

The parking fee is CHF100 ($120) for two stops in the city centre and CHF75 for one stop.

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Translated from German by DeepL/sb

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