Could so called ‘monster trucks’ be coming to Swiss roads?
Some transport groups fear it could be the case and are already gearing up for a fight.
The trucks – called in German ‘Gigaliners’ weigh 60 tonnes and are over 25 meters long. For comparison, standard lorries are 40 tonnes and 19 meters.
The extra-large vehicles are already being used on some roads in Germany, Finland and Sweden.
But the European Parliament has voted in favour of allowing them to cross borders. Some fear that Switzerland will be pressured to allow them too.
But major infrastructure changes will be needed. Customs facilities will need to be enlarged – as will rest stops and tunnels and bridges. The Federal Roads Office suspect the costs will be hundreds of millions of francs.
Even the haulage lobby in Switzerland has its doubts. The Swiss Commercial Vehicle Association says they’re too big for this country.
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