Switzerland. Commercial Vehicle Association ASTAG Concerned About Traffic Jam Numbers

The Swiss Commercial Vehicle Association ASTAG takes the published figures from the federal government regarding traffic jam development with the utmost concern. The burden on the national road network continues to rise unabated and has reached a new high in 2023 with around 49,000 hours of traffic jams. The expansion step for national roads, which will be voted on in the fall, must be realized. The consequences would otherwise be fatal – for logistics and mobility, ultimately for the economy and the population.

(Bern) The latest traffic jam figures for the year 2023, published today by the Federal Roads Office ASTRA, are shocking. In recent years, the values have continuously and significantly increased; negative records have been reported repeatedly. However, the current development exceeds all measures. In 2022, a total of 48,807 hours of traffic jams were recorded, an increase of 22.4 percent, well above the long-term average of 10 percent.

The Swiss Commercial Vehicle Association ASTAG had anticipated a further worsening of the situation – and is nonetheless extremely concerned. An increase of this magnitude is simply dramatic and has massive repercussions. At stake are the safe assurance, reliability, and flexibility of supply and disposal. The more and longer the road transport industry is stuck in traffic, the less the economy, businesses, and the population can rely on (timely) deliveries and pickups. The result is interruptions and costly waiting times in operational processes and unnecessary additional efforts. “The acute traffic jam problem is an increasingly noticeable disruptive factor in the economic activity of our country,” emphasizes ASTAG Central President Thierry Burkart: “Production, consumption, and ultimately our prosperity are suffering!”

Better Infrastructure = Less Traffic Jam

Massive additional costs also result from road transport itself. Traffic jams mean that more time is needed for the same number of loads, and therefore more vehicles and drivers are required – leading to significant productivity losses. In congested traffic, vehicles also consume significantly more fuel, thereby increasing CO2 emissions to the detriment of the environment and climate proportionally.

In this context, modernizing the national roads, as decided by the Federal Council and Parliament with the expansion step 2023, makes even more sense. The referendum vote in the fall will be absolutely groundbreaking for the functionality and performance of transport and logistics. Therefore, ASTAG fully supports the proposal. Although ASTRA is actively striving to break traffic peaks with measures such as repurposing emergency lanes or temporary speed reductions, “traffic management alone is not enough,” says Thierry Burkart: “Switzerland needs a high-performance national road network!”

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