📋 Tender Overview
The Transport and Telecommunications Commission of the Council of States (CTT-E) rejects motion 25.3956 from its counterpart in the National Council aimed at increasing the rates of the service-related heavy goods vehicle traffic charge (RPLP) from 2027. While it recognizes that we are witnessing a retransfer of transalpine freight transport from rail to road, it does not wish to generate additional costs for the Swiss economy.
ContentBy 8 votes to 3 and 2 abstentions, the CTT-E proposes to its council to reject motion 25.3956 (Adaptation of the ordinance concerning the fee on heavy goods vehicle traffic), adopted by the National Council. It is opposed to an increase in the RPLP rates from January 1, 2027, as it believes that this would result in considerable additional costs for carriers and shippers in the short term and would compromise the latters planning and investment security. Given the current economic and international challenges, the committee considers that it would be inappropriate to impose an additional tax burden on the Swiss economy. It notes that the RPLP has already been increased in 2025 and that, as part of the partial revision of the law relating to a charge on heavy goods vehicle traffic (25.058), trucks with electric propulsion will also be subject to the RPLP. Finally, the committee underlines that an increase in RPLP tariffs should also be discussed within the Joint Swiss/EU Land Transport Committee. A minority of the committee proposes to adopt the motion. In his view, we must take advantage of the room for maneuver offered by the agreement on land transport concluded with the EU to counteract the retransfer of freight transport from rail to road. Digitization of driving and traffic licenses The committee unanimously proposes to adopt motion 25.4402 (Digitization of driving and traffic licenses), tabled by its counterpart in the National Council. The motion aims to ensure that digital driving licenses and circulation permits can be recognized as electronic documents equivalent to physical documents. The CTT-E considers that this motion makes a significant contribution to efficient and modern digital administration, as it simplifies controls and administrative procedures for both citizens and the administration. Other decisions The CTT-E has carried out a preliminary examination of parliamentary initiative Regazzi 25.447 (Ensuring efficient connections through an adaptation of the Aviation Act). The author requests that art. 32 of the Aviation Act is amended so that, under certain conditions, air carriers whose head office is located in the EU or EFTA can also operate domestic flights under concession in Switzerland. The committee supports the objective of the parliamentary initiative aimed at ensuring good air transport between the cities of Lugano and Geneva and proposes, by 7 votes to 3 with 2 abstentions, to follow it up. It is now the turn of the Transport and Telecommunications Committee of the National Council to examine the issue. Finally, the committee looked at the broad outlines of the preparation of the report and the bill relating to parliamentary initiative Engler 25.477 (Putting an end to the diversion of resources from the railway infrastructure fund (FIF)). She instructed the administration to make further clarifications. She will learn the results and will define the rest of the procedure during one of her next sessions.
