Car noise City of Zurich prepares trial with noise speed cameras

The city of Zurich wants to put an end to unnecessary engine noise from cars: The city police are currently preparing a pilot test with noise speed cameras. Police chief Karin Rykart (Greens) has given the police the corresponding order.

Exactly what the trial will look like and when the first noise speed cameras will be installed is still open, as a police spokesperson told SRF1 Radio's "Regionaljournal Zürich-Schaffhausen" on Monday.

In June 2022, the city parliament referred a motion from the Green Party to the city council and requested such devices on a trial basis. Excessive noise that disturbs the population is unacceptable, according to the majority of the municipal council. Only the FDP and SVP spoke out against noise monitors.

Geneva and Lausanne already have noise cameras

The cities of Geneva and Lausanne are already using noise measurement devices combined with a camera on a trial basis. However, the devices are not yet regulated by law in Switzerland.

Unnecessary car noise has also been an issue at cantonal level before, but that was a while ago. At the beginning of 2020, the then conservative-dominated cantonal council came to the conclusion that it did not want noise speed cameras. Even then, the proposal came from the Greens. At the time, they had also unsuccessfully called for a ban on noisy sports cars in residential areas.