Geneva's Director of Public Works expresses displeasure at delay in noise speed cameras

Antonio Hodgers, Geneva's Director of Public Works, has expressed his disappointment at the delay in the introduction of noise cameras. In an interview, he criticized the fact that a small group of road users are causing excessive noise pollution for many people. Cooperation with the Federal Office for the Environment had been promising and preparations were well advanced. Hodgers suspects that the Federal Council's decision to slow down the introduction is politically motivated and sees this as an "attack on federalism", as the cantons are being deprived of important resources.

Hodgers emphasized that other countries such as France are already successfully using noise speed cameras. He announced that he would intervene with the federal government and seek talks with Environment Minister Rösti, as the "pressure of suffering is too great". The first use of a noise flasher in German-speaking Switzerland, in Röschenz BL, is currently being evaluated by the federal government.

Federal Council examines further steps

In mid-October, the Federal Council announced that the pilot project in Geneva had been successful and that the noise cameras could effectively identify noisy vehicles. Nevertheless, the legal basis for a nationwide introduction is associated with challenges. These include different legal noise limits depending on vehicle age and category, as well as the lack of a noise indicator in the vehicle, which would be necessary to detect when limits are exceeded.

The Federal Council plans to further examine the feasibility of noise speed cameras before deciding on the creation of the necessary legal basis. Only after this examination will a possible mandate to amend the law be issued.