Road traffic Commission in favor of levy for transit traffic through Switzerland
Anyone crossing Switzerland by car on a journey from one neighboring country to another should pay a transit fee in future. This is the opinion of the Council of States and also the majority of the responsible National Council committee.
20.01.2026, 17:11
SDA
The Committee for Transport and Telecommunications of the large chamber (KVF-N) approved a motion by Councillor of States Marco Chiesa (SVP/TI) by 16 votes to 2 with 5 abstentions, as reported by the parliamentary services on Tuesday. The Council of States had adopted the motion in September 2025 without a dissenting vote.
Burden on people and nature
If the National Council also approves the motion, the Federal Council must act. Chiesa based his demand on the impact of transit traffic on people and nature. Switzerland's obligations under the Land Transport Agreement and the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons with the EU should remain reserved when levying the charge.
The majority of the KVF-N now also wants to take action and reduce the peak load on the national road network with a traffic-dependent transit levy, as stated in the press release. The committee rejected the idea of putting the money collected into the Rail Infrastructure Fund (BIF) instead of the National Roads and Agglomeration Traffic Fund (NAF).
A minority in the KVF-N is against the motion. According to the press release, it fears enforcement problems and a lot of administrative work. Transport Minister Albert Rösti also spoke out against the motion in the Council of States. He said at the time that it was legally compatible with Switzerland's treaties with the EU.
Concerns in the Federal Council
How the EU would govern politically, however, was an open question. The Federal Council also spoke of implementation problems. In his opinion, a transit levy would require extensive monitoring of all border crossings. It assumes that the constitution would have to be amended for the requested fee.
The constitutional article in question states that public roads may be used free of charge. However, parliament can approve exceptions. Motionary Chiesa, on the other hand, argues with the constitutional article on the protection of the Alps. According to this article, the federal government must protect these regions from the effects of transit traffic.
