The Swiss motorway sticker celebrates its 40th anniversary

Since its introduction in 1985, the motorway sticker has become a symbol of funding for Swiss motorways. Despite a one-time price increase, it remains a subject of debate and attempted fraud.

The introduction of the motorway vignette in 1985 marked a turning point in the financing of Swiss expressways. Since then, the sticker price has only increased once, from 30 to 40 francs. Despite this, it has always tickled the imagination of cheaters, and again recently when the sticker appeared in digital form.

Switzerland was the first country in Europe to introduce a motorway vignette and a charge on heavy goods vehicle traffic. The objective was to ensure the development and maintenance of national roads.

With a fixed annual price, the vignette offers a cost-effective alternative to toll systems in other countries. Other states have adopted the same system, such as Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Gross revenue from the sale of stickers in Switzerland amounts to approximately 360 million francs per year, of which around a third comes from foreign motorists.

Critics persist

The introduction of the vignette was preceded by extensive discussions. Abroad, the new “entry tax” was seen as disadvantageous for short-term users. In Switzerland, tourism professionals feared that foreign visitors would no longer come.

Critics were never completely silent: according to them, motorists were unduly levied on top of fuel taxes. In 1990, however, the Federal Parliament clearly came out against two initiatives aimed at immediately abolishing the sticker. These initiatives were subsequently withdrawn.

In 1994, voters decided to permanently anchor the sticker in the Constitution. In 1995, its price was increased to 40 francs due to rising prices. In 2013, voters clearly rejected an increase to 100 francs and the extension of the national road network.

A third already buys the digital edition

The introduction of the e-vignette in 2023 marked the start of a new era. By 2024, around a third of stickers sold have been purchased in digital form.

Since the introduction of the sticker, people who are particularly eager to save have always tried to avoid buying it or at least to reduce the cost – sometimes successfully. Already at the end of 1984, an unknown person offered falsified stickers at the attractive price of five francs in a shopping center in Cham ZG. The police never caught him.

In order to make falsifications more difficult, un watermark was introduced in 1999 and the fine was doubled, from 100 to 200 francs. (tib/ats)

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