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Toni Aschwanden, International Transport PolicyAlpine-Initiative Switzerland

Warsaw, 28th June 2011

From road to rail -The Swiss experience

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The Alps: a natural landscape

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The Alps: a cultural scene

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The Alps: a region of transit

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Development of transalpine freight transport

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Negative effects

accidentsfragmentation of landscapenoisepollution

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Pollution & noise: increased negative effects

Source: ALPNAP

In a valley the dispersion concentration is 3x higher than in the flat region.

Temperature inversion traps the air pollution: one lorry at night ~ six lorries during the day.

Noise propagation in valleys: Echo effect.

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Green house gas emissionThe road is the bad performer

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The Alps: a warning system

Other regions are fragile as well, but Alps are a “good” indicator for problems to come elsewhere! (limited physical and environmental capacity)

Modal shift of goods from road to rail is part of the solution!

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The Alpine Initiative and the Swiss Transport Policy

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Alpine Initiative

Swiss NGO: financed by membership & donations, actively involved in European transport policy (T&E, ITE, CIPRA)

Objective: Protection of the Alps from the negative effects of road freight traffic

1994: Adoption of the “Alpine-Initiative” by the Swiss population and the cantons (20th February 1994)

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• „The Federal Constitution may be subjected to a total or partial revision at any time. „ (FC art. 192)Proposal by people or Parliament

• Popular initiative:- more than 100‘000 valid signatures- to be collected within 18 months- completed worded text or general proposal

• Discussion of Parliament: - in both chambers- recommendation by Parliament and Government

• Plebiscite:majority of people and cantons must adopt

What is a popular initiative?

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Content of the Article on the Protection of the Alps (Swiss Constitution Art. 84)

• The Confederation shall protect the alpine region from the negative effects of transit traffic. It shall limit the nuisance caused by such traffic to a level which is not harmful to persons, animals or plants, or their environment.

• Transapine freight in border-to-border transit shall be transported by rail. (...)

• The capacity of transit roads in the alpine region may not be increased. (...)

(adopted by the Swiss population and the cantons on the 20th Februar 1994)

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Eleven referendums on transport

policy in Switzerland

• 1987 Rail 2000 56,7% yes

• 1992: New rail links through the Alps 63,6% yes

• 1994: Alpine Initiative 51,9% yes

• 1994: FC article on heavy vehicle fee 67,1% yes

• 1994: Continuation of existing lorry flat fee 72,2% yes

• 1994 Continuation of flat fee for cars 68,5% yes

• 1998: Law on heavy vehicle fee 57,2% yes

• 1998: New financing of railway infrastructure 63,5% yes

• 2000: Treaty with the EU on transport 67,2% yes

• 2004: Counter proposal to Avanti-Initiative 63,0% no

• 2011: Against second road tunnel (Uri) 56.9% / 68.6% no

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User and polluter pays principle:

Swiss HVF

Supporting measures: promotion of intermodal transport, reduction of rail infrastructure charges

3 pillars of the Swiss Transport Policy

Constituational obligation (Art. 84 CF) Freight Traffic Transfer Act

Railway infrastructure: More capacity

and productivity Alptransit (NRLA)

More efficiency and quality: Railway Reform

Source: Swiss federal office of transport BAV

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Prix plus élevépour l’utilisation de

l’infrastructureroutière:RPLP

„Polluter pays principle“Heavy Vehicle Fee

HVF

The Swiss heavy vehicle fee

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Chronologie of HVF

• 1986: first vote

• 1994: Alpine Initiative 51,9% Yes

• 1994: Constituional Art. on HVF 67,1% Yes

• 1998: Law on HVF 57,2% Yes

• 1.1.2001- Introduction of HVF (1.1 Ct/tkm)- Increase of weight limit from 28 to 34t

• 1.1.2005- Increase to 1,65 Ct/tkm- Increase weight limit from 34 to 40t

• 1.1.2008 - Increase of level to 1.8 Ct/tkm

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The external costs of road freight transport (pollution, noise, …) are being internalised.

Road freight transport has to pay for the costs it produces (otherwise transport is too cheap, disproportionate growth and an indirect subsidy)

The calculation of the fee is based on: • Distance

• every kilometre on Swiss roads counts• weight

• > 3.5t ; maximum authorized weight of the truck• emission class of the truck

• Euro 0/1: 1,8 €Cts/tkm • Euro 2: 1,6 €Cts/tkm• Euro 3-5: 1.4 €Cts/tkm

Characteristic of the Swiss heavy vehicle fee (HVF)

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Switzerland: Currently, a 40-tonne truck pays about EUR 200 for a 300km journey across the country.

Poland (from the 1st of July 2011 on): Not all roads included. Comparable distance of 300km is Warszawa – Krakow. According to:

96,9 km with toll, 204,0 km without. total cost 33zl ≈ EUR 8.50

Level of the fee (I)

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Level of the fee (II)The level of the Swiss fee is high, also compared to other countries with already existing charging scheme such as Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany and Slovakia.

Why? The EU legal framework – the “Eurovignette directive” – does not allow internalization of external cost of road freight transport. Only infrastructure cost are permitted.

The revision 2011 will allow parts of these costs to be integrated but not all external cost (it still forbids to cover costs of EUR 60 billion of climate change, congestion and accidents caused by lorries).

Germany Austria CH

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Effects of the Swiss HVF

• fewer trucks driving empty• better capacity use • cleaner vehicle fleet

• Effects on modal shift (road/rail) were diluted by the acceptance of 40t trucks instead of 28t (bilateral transport agreement with EU) Nevertheless, without the HVF and other measures, such as the support for combined traffic, there would be several hundred thousand more trucks on Alpine roads.

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Use of the revenu

• The annual revenue goes to the public transport fund (and 1/3 to the cantons).

• HVF (road charge) finances

Railway infrastructure

More information in the brochure “Fair and efficient” / “Fair und effizient”

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AlpTransit: bigger capacity,

higher productivity

Alptransit (base tunnels through the Alps)

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The 57-km long Gotthard base tunnel opening in 2016/2017 34-km long Lötschberg base tunnel, in service since 2007.

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Railway reform

Railway reform

Integration of european railway reformOpening of the railway market

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Objective

Integrations of operations of railway system in several countries (one European market, railway packages)

Improvement of technology and logistics.

Reality

Problems of track maintenance in Europe

Rail Freight in trouble

Railway is still dominated by national reality (laws, technical requirements, etc.)

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Not to forget: Controls of trucks

A fair competition between transport modes also need the respect of existing norms :

- Controls of trucks (Safety)

- Respect of working and rest periods (social standards!)

- …

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Conclusion A: lessons from the HVF

The Swiss Heavy vehicle fee could be an inspiration for European decision-makers on the internalisation of external costs (see discussion Eurovignette Directive)

• road charging is working• is accepted by the population • economy is still among the most competitive in the

world, despite the fear campaign by the road transport lobby who predicted a downturn.

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Conclusion B: Railway infrastructure

• Importance of performing railway infrastructure• The Swiss people, who demanded a shift of freight

transport from road to rail, decided on it in several popular referendums (incl. financing)

• But as well use and maintain the existing infrastructure!

• Access lines have to be finished and the network must work – not only new “high speed” projects!

• ‘hardware’ needs to be accompanied by ‘software’

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Inspiration for Europe?

« Explain our problems in Bruxelles »: Transport flows do not start and stop north and south of the Alps and not at Polands boarders, but are european and global!

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Alptransit Gotthard – Erstfeld

Trucks control center Erstfeld

A lot of information work needed

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Risk for modal shift: longer and heavier trucks

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Strong european alliances and involved citizens needed !

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Thank you for your attention!

www.alpine-initiative.ch (d, f, i,

e)

international@alpeninitiative.chAlpen-Initiative Herrengasse 2 Postfach 28 CH-6460 Altdorf Tel. +41 (0)41 870 97 81 Fax +41 (0)41 870 97 88info@alpeninitiative.ch www.alpeninitiative.ch

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Alpine Crossing Exchange

Another instrument in the future?

Quelle BAV

Continuation accompanying measures (financial support of intermodal transport, controls of trucks)

Swiss HVF NRLA Railway Reform

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Alpine Crossing Exchange (I)

offer and demand balanced and regulated by an exchange

sensitive Alps:

a limited resource, limited capacity

limited offer

high demand of

road crossing trips

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Alpine Crossing Exchange (II)

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Other transport modes have a demand managment

Planes: Airport slots

Freight trains : Charges for railway paths

Ferry: Tickets

We would like that in the future the crossing of the Alps and other sensitive regions need a crossing right !