SwissPass Changes Coming; Dunkin Donuts Descends on Basel; New Tunnel Referendum Passes; Referendum Rejects Expulsion Rule

News For 1 March 2016

The new SwissPass card introduced August of last year was meant to replace the SBB's half tax and GA cards, as well as simplify the purchase of leisure excursions and group trips.  The chip embedded cards are able to store information including ski lift passes, boat tickets and multi-rider information purchased as part of special discounted offers in addition to standard fares.  However, some of you may have heard of a catch - it appears the SBB has been also using the information gathered on the embedded chip to monitor the travel habits of those using the card.  Though the company insists its been solely for marketing purposes, regulators have taken notice and have forced the company to stop the practice starting the end of this month.  

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The first swiss dunkin donuts opened its doors today in Basel near Claraplatz and was welcomed with a long queue of people waiting to get their hands on the American style donuts.

Fast food fans travelled from Aargau last night to get prime queueing positions in preperation for the 7am opening time.  

Free donuts were offered for the first lucky customers, but by 9am the free donuts had run out. Paying customers can choose from 19 different donut varieties including an exclusive Swiss designed heart shape with the swiss flag. The Basel store will be open 7 days a week, unlike a lot of shoppes which typically close on Sundays.

Prepare for sticker-shock however, the Swiss version of the American Donuts are being sold for 3.20 francs per piece. 

The exclusive licensee holder of the Dunkin donuts francise, 22 year old Sebastian Homann has plans to open more stores around Switzerland, with Zurich on the cards as the next location. 

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The referendum question asking if Switzerland should undertake the construction of a new Gotthard tunnel for automobile traffic has passed with 57% of the vote saying "yes".  Despite dire warning from opponents of the measure, strongest support came from the two cantons on either side of the proposed project : Uri and Ticino.  Now that the mandate is established planning will commence, and construction is slated to be completed in the year 2030.  Once complete, each of the two lane tunnels is expected to carry traffic in a single direction, and allow for maintenance on the existing tunnel without disruption to traffic.  Later this year, a new Gotthard base tunnel for rail traffic is also set to open, which is meant to carry an increasing share of commercial traffic meant to remove trucks from Swiss roads.

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Swiss voters rejected on Sunday a proposal to automatically deport foreign criminals for even minor offences, referendum results showed.

The poll came at a time when many European countries are hardening their attitudes to migrants after more than a million arrived on the continent's shores last year.

Under Swiss law voters can change a law by popular ballot. To be passed it must be approved by a majority of cantons as well as a majority of electors. 

According to the final results Sunday evening, the proposal to "automatically deport foreign criminals" was rejected by 58.9 percent of voters.

The populist right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP) proposed tougher rules which were put to the people in Sunday's referendum.

Known for its virulent campaigns against immigration, the European Union and Islam, the SVP had called for "real deportation of criminal foreigners". But the initiative faced stiff opposition, including from the government, parliament and all the other major political parties, which said it circumvented fundamental rules of democracy.

If passed, the proposal would have dramatically increased the number of offences that can get foreign nationals automatically  kicked out of Switzerland, including misdemeanours usually punishable with short prison sentences or fines.

The SVP's campaign initially garnered strong support, but appears to have lost steam among voters.

Opponents had warned that if the text passed, people born to foreign parents in Switzerland risked being deported to countries they have never lived in, just for petty offences.