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The results of the latest survey, conducted by the GfS Bern polling institute on behalf of SRF television, suggest that the expansion of national roads has become uncertain. The majority of Swiss people do not support the construction of motorways in stages to six lanes. As a result, transport minister Albert Rösti (SVP) may face a serious defeat in the November 24 polls, as analyzed by several media outlets.
Simply put, although I hear the message, my conviction is lacking. In the last 24 years, the number of motor vehicles in Switzerland has increased from 4.5 million to 6.5 million, and that does not include motorbikes. There are an average of 540 cars per thousand inhabitants. Every second person in the country has their own car and is well aware of the problems caused by traffic congestion. We simply cannot afford to stop highway development. This would significantly weaken and make our economic situation vulnerable. How reckless does one have to be to believe that the railway can easily take over some of the road traffic in the future. The railway lines between Lausanne and Geneva and Zurich and Bern are already operating at full capacity. Every morning there is a fight for seats on the trains. There is a need to expand the highways on these key routes, as they are the main drivers of our country, and the overburdened public transport must also be relieved. Transport Minister Albert Rösti must win this vote. Any other outcome would be unacceptable, because rejecting the proposal would lead to traffic chaos.
