Free transport campaign rejected by Geneva

Thursday, 16 February 2023 06:30

A Geneva initiative to make all public transport free has been rejected by the Grand Council as it says the text falls foul of federal law.

The campaign is being driven by the youth wings of left-wing parties.

They collected enough signatures to force a vote to change the Geneva constitution to ensure free transport funded by taxation.

But the federal constitution makes clear that public transport users have to pay an ‘appropriate’ share of the costs.

There’s already a case pending at the Federal Tribunal on the same issue brought by canton Fribourg.

Geneva says it will reconsider accepting the text if the federal court rules in favour of free transport.

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