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Keystone
In 2018 I noticed once again that there was a lot of need for action when it comes to traffic fees.
I have sent a recommendation to reduce fees to the affected cantons. The cantons of Geneva, Graubünden, Basel-Landschaft, Wallis, St. Gallen and Ticino received an email from me. Fortunately, Geneva and Basel-Landschaft, two of the most expensive cantons, have now reduced their rates. Valais has also announced a reduction in 2022. That made me very happy.
Why was everything necessary? According to the assessment of the Federal Administration of Finance, in some cases there were quite serious cost overruns in certain cantons. We are not talking about a few pennies here: according to my model’s calculation, a new car driver pays an average of around 1,500 francs during his driving career. The driver of a used car has to pay even more, that is, more than 2000 francs. A rental car driver still pays a good 1,000 francs. On the basis of 60 years of driving, the total costs of taxes, depending on the model, in the most expensive canton (Geneva) are up to CHF 1,000 more than in the cheapest (Freiburg or Lucerne).
If a canton has high rates and at the same time earns more than the costs incurred by the traffic office, it means: lower rates.
This is especially true in times of pandemic, which threatens not only our health, but also the economy. To keep the consequences for private households and the economy – ultimately, the well-being of the people in society – as low as possible, it should also be a matter of course for the public sector to limit its rate claims to the minimum, that is, to cover costs. Cantons with clear cost coverage should do the same now at the latest.
