Canton Geneva makes public transport free due to pollution spike

With pollution spiking above a pre-determined limit, Geneva is (temporarily) making public transportation free throughout the canton from today, Wednesday, August 13. There will also be some changes to traffic rules. 

Geneva makes public transportation free as part of anti-pollution measures

In a first for Switzerland, the canton of Geneva is experimenting with making public transport free for all throughout the canton, in an attempt to bring down ozone-damaging pollution levels. This was announced by the Department of Territory on Tuesday evening in a press release.

Everyone will be permitted to board buses, trains and trams in zone 10, without needing a ticket, and checks will be suspended on the entire network. 

There will also be some changes to traffic regulations in the canton on August 13. With some exceptions, only vehicles displaying the Stick’AIR 0, 1, 2 and 3 will be allowed to drive through the centre of Geneva between the hours of 6am and 10pm. Anyone who breaks these rules will receive a fine, so pay attention to the road signs. The speed limit on the Geneva bypass will also be limited to 80 km/h. 

System has been in place in Swiss canton since 2020

In 2020, under the “Geneva anti-smog system”, the DT decided that public transport would be made free for the following day whenever an ozone level of 180 μg/m3 is exceeded within the canton. This happened on Tuesday, August 12, at the Meyrin measuring station. The reading was almost 230 μg/m3. 

The DT said that it would continue to monitor levels of pollution, and that the measures might be renewed or expanded “depending on how the pollution peak evolves”. They will only be lifted when the air quality returns to normal. The public will be informed of this via the official website.