New law should enable pilot projects for mobility pricing

Bern, February 2021

The Federal Council wants to legally enable pilot projects for mobility pricing and be able to support them financially. A corresponding law should now go into consultation. The responsibility for the specific programs will lie with the cantons and municipalities or organizations.

Mobility pricing with different tariffs for peak and off-peak times could defuse traffic problems, explains the Federal Council in a communication . This was shown by a theoretical impact analysis for the canton of Zug, they said. The Federal Council therefore wants to have the process tested in practice.

To this end, the Federal Council has drawn up a ten-year law that legally enables pilot projects on mobility pricing and lays the foundations for their financial support. This law will now be sent for consultation, informs the Federal Council in the communication.

In the template, cantons and municipalities are given the opportunity to carry out pilot projects to influence mobility behavior in private and public transport. If the projects provide for a tax obligation, they must be approved by the canton. In addition, the responsible canton must obtain approval from the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications . Projects in which participation is voluntary can also be carried out by organizations, it says in the communication.

As part of a request from the federal government last February, various cities and cantons had already expressed interest in a pilot project, the Federal Council informed in the message. For some of these projects, feasibility studies are now to be drawn up. When the new law comes into force, feasible projects could then be started.

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