LOGISTICS & AUTOMATION 2026 successful
Jan 30, 2026 at 2:59 PM
The Swiss Commercial Vehicle Association ASTAG has generally welcomed the plans presented by the Federal Council to improve the transport infrastructure. Given the increasing congestion of the national road network, targeted expansion is essential, according to the association representatives.
ASTAG emphasizes that both road and rail transport require a modern and demand-oriented infrastructure. The Federal Council’s approach to comprehensively consider transport planning is explicitly supported. Thierry Burkart, member of the Council of States and Central President of ASTAG, stresses: „The discussion about infrastructure must not be conducted in isolation; expansions are necessary in all areas.“ Although the planned expansions of the national roads are relatively modest compared to the extensive investments in rail infrastructure, they still provide a necessary perspective for the heavily burdened road traffic. Burkart criticizes the strong opposition to the Federal Council’s plans to eliminate bottlenecks as incomprehensible.
Urgent Need for Action on Bottleneck Eliminations
ASTAG considers the planned measures for eliminating bottlenecks to be overdue. Forecasts for 2024 indicate more than 55,000 hours of traffic jams, highlighting the urgent need for action. At key highway junctions, a near-complete standstill is threatened. Even though further infrastructure expansion cannot solve all problems, the Federal Government acknowledges in its own studies that both freight and passenger traffic on the road will significantly increase in the coming years, despite high investments in rail transport. Burkart warns: „Without rapid capacity expansions, the massive traffic jam hours will undoubtedly continue to increase.“ This will have negative impacts on the costs of freight transport and the mobility of the population and the economy.
ASTAG emphasizes that prosperity and growth depend on mobility and logistics, which require a high-performance infrastructure. Additionally, residents would benefit from reduced bypass traffic and increased traffic safety. In the upcoming consultation process, ASTAG intends to advocate strongly for the overdue elimination of bottlenecks on the national roads. The association views the current plans as a first step but sees medium- to long-term further action needed to address the congestion of the national roads. Otherwise, the supply and mobility in Switzerland could be seriously jeopardized.
