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ZURICH

Zurich approves simplified path to Swiss citizenship

Voters in Switzerland’s most populous canton on Sunday approved a proposal which will make it easier for foreigners to get Swiss citizenship.

Published: 16 May 2022 13:28 CEST
Updated: 22 May 2022 10:18 CEST
A Swiss passport seen up close
A Swiss passport seen up close. By SDE. - Own scan., Public Domain,

The vote passed with 69.1 percent support, making it the most popular of the four initiatives put to the polls. 

Around 350,000 foreigners live in Zurich, which is roughly one quarter of the population – although the percentage is as high as 50 percent in some municipalities. 

The successful proposal called for Zurich’s naturalisation process, including the citizenship exam, to be made uniform across all 162 municipalities. 

The questions in the exam will now be centralised on a cantonal level. 

The test will include 350 questions about Swiss history, tradition, politics and culture, with a focus on Zurich. 

Anyone taking the test will be given 50 questions at random and must answer at least 30 correctly to pass. 

More information about the citizenship process in Zurich can be found at the following link. 

EXPLAINED: How Zurich wants to make naturalisation easier

What else was decided on Sunday? 

Voters in Zurich also decided to reject a proposal to lower the voting age to 16, with 64.1 percent saying ‘nein’ to the proposal. 

A proposal to provide for more parental leave – and even up gender imbalances between fathers and mothers – was also rejected. 

Finally, voters supported law changes which sought to enshrine Zurich’s climate change goals in the cantonal constitution. 

A detailed breakdown of the vote can be seen here. 

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ZURICH

Why does Zurich need airbags on the front of its trams?

Due to a recent spate of fatal accidents, authorities in Switzerland’s largest city are looking for ways to make tramway tracks more secure for pedestrians.

Published: 23 April 2024 12:40 CEST
Why does Zurich need airbags on the front of its trams?

Three fatal tram accidents occurred in Zurich in the span of five days in early March.

In one, a pedestrian fell between the tram and the platform at the Oerlikon Ost stop; the victim was taken to a hospital in critical condition and died the next morning.

Next, a cyclist collided with a tram in District 5, succumbing to his injuries the next day.

The same day, another pedestrian fell under a tram at Zurich’s main train station, dying at the scene of the accident.

Though all three events happened in quick succession, accidents involving pedestrians or cyclists colliding with public transport in Zurich are not a new phenomenon.

“In recent years, accidents involving personal injuries have increased steadily,” said city official Michele Romagnolo. “People are crushed by trams and die. We can’t stand idly by.”

What is being done to prevent this type of deaths in the future?

The Zurich Transport Authority (VBZ) and tram manufacturer Alstom are currently testing airbags that inflate when a tram hits a pedestrian.

This mechanism would be triggered by a sensor on the front of the driver’s cab, and is intended to reduce the impact and consequences of a collision between the trams and pedestrians or cyclists.

According to Heinz Schulthess, president of the tram drivers’ association, “in head-on accidents, people first hit their heads on the window and then fall to the ground. An airbag pushes a person away, largely preventing the impact and minimising the risk of death.”

During this test phase, engineers are also looking into ways to increase the speed of airbag deployment and develop a mechanism for quick folding, so that the tram can resume operation immediately after an incident.

When would this system be deployed?

The trial run is expected to be completed in summer of 2024.

“What happens next depends on the results,” the VBZ spokesperson Leo Herrmann said.

Are any other safety measures under consideration as well?

According to Schulthess, another way to increase tram safety would be to install red LED lights along the tracks on the ground.

They would serve to would warn people crossing the tram tracks while staring at their smartphones.

“The main cause of accidents are pedestrians crossing the street without paying attention,” he said.

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