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Switzerland considering extremely tough anti-car law

 
17 2,016 views Aug 7, 2008
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Switzerland considering extremely tough anti-car law

Switzerland considering extremely tough anti-car law

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Switzerland's political system, like that of California and several other states and nations, allows for individuals to propose legislation upon the gathering of enough signatures to support the bill. One such proposition by the youth section of the Swiss Green Party would ban all vehicles weighing over 2.2 metric tons (4,820lbs) or emitting more than 250g/km of CO2, among other restrictions. The law would effectively eliminate the vast majority of the SUV and sports car market overnight.

Other elements of the bill that would make it among the toughest in the world if enacted include a speed limit of 100km/h (62mph) on cars 'grandfathered' in by being registered before the law goes into effect, a complete ban on diesel-powered cars without particulate filters and cars with front fascias deemed dangerous to pedestrians, reports the Swiss site Asphalte.

Examples of the cars that would be affected by the proposed law include the complete ban from sale of all but the Boxster and Cayman 2.7 (pictured) from Porsche's lineup, all of the high-performance arms of the German carmakers, as well as most Italian cars such as Ferrari and Lamborghini and the majority of American muscle cars and SUVs. Essentially the only cars that would be allowed for sale would be highly efficient six-cylinders and four-cylinder cars, with very few high-performance or opulent and large vehicles remaining.



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Comments (17)

  1. By bambam Posted: 8/7/2008 11:55pm PDT

    I don't care if there is no cars in the city but the footpath better move at 30km\h or so.
    I ain't walking, what about the Taxis, do they pass the requirement?
     
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  2. By Layne Posted: 8/8/2008 1:03am PDT

    Holy shit the Swiss need to pull that gigantic stick out of their collective asses.
     
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  3. By raptor Posted: 8/8/2008 3:07am PDT

    Eco-nazis strike again. But they are going to fail.
     
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  4. By BAUMM III Posted: 8/8/2008 4:54am PDT

    As European, this law do not surprise me. it's the first one of this kind, but for sure not the last one.

    If fact, how to put VW 235MPG car (400 Kg or 800 lb) on the roads, and make it safe and successful, if at the same time you have gigantic trucks or muscle cars?

    Such "castration" is a kind of answer. maybe a bit early (oil came back to the $120) but expect this at $200
     
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  5. By HECTOR Posted: 8/8/2008 5:11am PDT

    Well, maybe all of those people who own the Ferraris and big Mercs and Beemers will choose to put their money in Luxembourg instead of Switzerland then. Let's see what the withdrawal of a few billion dollars does to change their minds.
     
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  6. By NoNameDenton Posted: 8/8/2008 5:44am PDT

    Send their cars here to the States, we will take care of them.
     
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  7. By Dane Posted: 8/8/2008 6:11am PDT

    Let's go back in time OK???? Remember when a Porsche 911 from the mid 80's was a dream???? It had only about 230 bhp right???? It also weighed in at about 3,000 pounds and got about 25/28 on the highway.... 21 in the city.....

    Let's get real (the law is tough)..... But it is time to step back to go forward.... Who really dreams of a Lamborghini except for the daf and kids????? The Dinosaur didn't survive either... Evolve or die.......
     
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  8. By Z__ Posted: 8/8/2008 6:28am PDT

    Hello fascism, nice to meet you... not.
     
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  9. By Nuvo Posted: 8/8/2008 6:34am PDT

    Why don´t we try to ban Swiss Green Party?
     
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  10. By Motorist Liberation Front Posted: 8/8/2008 8:05am PDT

    I'm getting really ****** off with those Gaian ******** trying to drag humanity backwards, is it not enough that we have the ROP(ma) also preventing us from reaching the stars?

    It was only 2 decades ago that everyone was looking forward to seeing a golden era of science and now we have two antihuman movements seeking to take us to the pre-industrial age.

    Sure this sort of thing is typical for the swiss as they're the same people that are planning on giving flora the same rights as humans, but you can be sure that they're eventually going to force everyone in Europe on bicycles from cars while the Chinese are going the other way round, - 500 million + 1 billion you do the maths.

    Why don't those ***** cut out the middleman and force humankind to become "One with the World" already (draw your own dark cynical conclusions and you'll more or less be spot on).

    Viva La Commonsense Revolution!
     
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  11. By NaBUru38 Posted: 8/8/2008 10:15am PDT

    Putting nasty taxes on guzzlers, maybe. But banning them, never!
     
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  12. By Andrew Posted: 8/8/2008 8:48pm PDT

    Come on. What planet do we live on such that we would accept this law?
     
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  13. By Gus Posted: 8/9/2008 11:25am PDT

    If you don't understand this law, then you don't understand the Swiss.
    They are incredibly cultured, mulitlingual, intelligent, and hard working.
    But they are also extremely liberal, ultra-progressive, and completely in lust with the order of law.
    Being in a small country surrounded by other countries, seperated from one another by huge mountain ranges forced them to be "more German thant the Germans". Everything is regulated there, absolutely everything. This makes for clean cities, infrastructure that's perfectly taken care of, etc. But it also makes for a lack of freedom and self-decision making that we (especially in America) find strange.
    In some ways they are the Japan of middle Europe, and just as it is difficult to understand many concepts of life in Japan (such as having guards shove commuters onto a packed train) it can be difficult to understand the Swiss sometimes...
     
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  14. By worker bee Posted: 8/9/2008 4:41pm PDT

    all swiss buy tesla roadsters and priuses
     
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  15. By Mo Posted: 9/3/2008 5:12am PDT

    Hey guys,

    FYI for an expat living in Switzeland, I have to reply back to GUS. You were right about everything, but off on one issue.

    To quote him "But it also makes for a lack of freedom and self-decision making that we (especially in America) find strange."

    The Swiss have a referendum about everything... really everything, and every citizen has the right to vote on each proposed bill (like this one)... I would call that freedom and self-decision making. Think about it, did you vote for te Patriot Act? And then ask yourself which is closer to democracy.

    FYI, I can't see that law passing, there are way too many beautiful machines on the roads here and people have the cash to afford them. Plus, when you're sandwiched in between Germany and Italy, it's hard to avoid seeing beautiful cars....
     
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  16. By mark Posted: 5/30/2010 12:12pm PDT

    i live in switzerland and i can tell you this country is really going back to prehistoric times. the swiss have a serious brain damage,the swiss are not only the most boring,arrogant,cold,selfish,introverted,closed minded people they have also the most stupid ideas that no normal human beeing can have.
    al this idea of the car ban was called at the begining anti offroader initiative and the sick idea come of a young ecofreak called bastien girod these man is into politic and haves his own political party called junge grune traduced it,s something like young greens these green people voted all with signatures to ban SUV,S from trafic and made some really stupid things like to seat on parking spaces so the cars can,t park and they stick provocative stickers on SUV,S,he is also knowed becose he protest nude in front of the police here a picture from him and his ecofriends he is the man with the number 4 in front.
     
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  17. By darrell Posted: 10/19/2010 11:33am PDT

    selfish,cold,introverted all true I live here to!
    The swiss will call the police if you do not cut the lawn..they have a denounciation law were people phone the police if you do the slightest thing wrong like for example overtaking them! Swiss Germans are okay, Swiss french!"£$%..Highest pro rata drug use in europe, young want to rebel do not know how..driving a nice car unless a boring merc is frowned on now.
     
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