Heatwave Ends..For Now; Annual Traffic Data Released; Auto Vignette To Be Replaced; UniBasel Sees Budget Cuts

News For 27 June 2017

By now you're probably wondering if last week's heatwave has, in fact ended.  The good news is MeteoSwiss projects major storms and winds to blow through the entire country over the next few days which should keep things cool.  In many places, 30-60 millimeters of rain are expected over the two days.  The bad news is, so much rain is expected that flood and landslide warnings have now also been put into effect in some cantons.

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According to traffic and transportation data released last Friday, the Basel bus and trams saw a one percent decline in their overall usage. This is the first time since 2010 that public transportation hasn’t increased. Car traffic has remained consistent. Bicycle traffic saw a five percent increase just this past year, with it having increased steadily since 2010. From 2013 to 2017, there was stronger upswing, leading to bicycle traffic having grown by almost a quarter in six years. The ministry for transportation has concluded that the bicycle infrastructure of the city should be developed further to promote more security and comfort for bikers.

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The Swiss Federal council is evaluating proposals to phase out the highway tax stickers or "vignettes" and replace them with an electronic system for collecting tolls.  Introduced in 1985, the sticker which currently costs 40 CHF per year has been deemed outmoded by government and motorist advocates.  Critics of the current stickers point out the high cost of its distribution, where the government pays a 10% fee, amounting to 35mmCHF annually to retailers.  They also say its prone to illegal transfer, fails to work for those with multiple cars and fails to account for those that simply refuse to buy the sticker.  The current proposal seeks to have motorists register their license plates which would be electronically scanned at 50 locations throughout Switzerland's highway system.  If all goes to plan, the new system would be in place by 2023.

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The university of Basel will have to make do with smaller contributions from Baselland and Basel-Stadt, because by 2021, the Uni’s budget will be lowered by ten million CHF annually. Representatives Monica Gschwind and Conradin Cramer of both half cantons’ respective education departments have stated that the budget cut will not be a disadvantage for the school, and that this step is merely a compromise for all involved. The current global budget is 329.5 million CHF, of which Baselland contributes 169 million and Basel-Stadt 160.5 million.