“We would be discriminated against”: Ticino defends himself against the Gotthard toll

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To relieve the citizens of Uri from traffic jams on the Gotthard, middle-class politicians are demanding tolls for Switzerland’s main north-south tunnel. SVP chairman Marco Chiesa (48) also wants extra compensation for the large highway tunnels that cut through the Alps.

In Ticino, the home canton of Chiesa, this is not well received at all. “This is a danger to us because Ticino would be discriminated against by such a toll,” Simone Patelli, president of Ticino Turismo, told the “Tages-Anzeiger”. He fears a competitive disadvantage compared to other holiday destinations.

“Ticino Goes on the Barricades”

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Southern Switzerland fears the same. The cantonal Minister of Economic Affairs Christian Vitta (50) not only signals “unfair competition”, but also a problem for the cohesion of Switzerland. And the national councilor Alex Farinelli (41) of the Ticino FDP scolds: “We Ticino should pay entrance fees for the rest of Switzerland.”

Marco Solari (79), president of the Locarno film festival, also warns in the “Tages-Anzeiger” for a Gotthard toll: “Ticino, on the other hand, goes on the barricades.”

Special rules for commuters and businesses

The Uri Central National Councilor Simon Stadler (35), who brought the idea of ​​the toll to the table, understands the fears of the citizens of Ticino, but takes the wind out of the sails: his proposal stipulates that trade and commuters on both sides of the the Gotthard could travel through the tunnel at a reduced fare or free of charge.

And he points out that Ticino would not benefit from tourists standing in traffic jams for hours on their way to Lake Maggiore. Fabio Regazzi (60), city councilor of the center of Ticino and trade president, recently took a similar view: workers would also be stuck in traffic for hours between tourists at certain times – that would not work.

He is demanding that the federal government investigate special rules for local businesses. It would be conceivable for him, for example, that the emergency lanes in front of the tunnel entrances would be opened to people from Uri and Ticino, or that the closed highway entrances would only be opened to the local population in the event of a traffic jam.

Which shows that not only the tunnel toll, but also the Gotthard traffic jams cause problems in Ticino. (sf)

Source:Blick