Waterways draw record passenger numbers
Boats on Switzerland's lakes and rivers transported almost 14 million passengers last year, up by 1.4 per cent over 2007 and the highest number ever.
The Public Transport Information Service (Litra) said the start of the season had been difficult because of the Euro 2008 football championships in the country and unfavourable weather conditions.
It noted that winter traffic had contributed to the good result, with many people commuting on boats daily.
The Lake of Lucerne was the most frequented with a provisional figure of 2.32 million passengers, closely followed by the ferry between Horgen and Meilen on Lake Zurich that carried 2.29 million.
Lake Geneva attracted 1.79 million people, while Lake Zurich (excluding the ferry service) attracted 1.77 million.
Other popular spots included the Mouettes Genevoises that serve the end of Lake Geneva and the River Rhône (1.17 million), and the Lakes of Thun and Brienz (1.03 million).
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