TRAIN RADIO: The SBB is launching “SBB on air”, a radio station on the trains. From April 22nd, the station, which can be streamed via DAB+, will present the best railway songs, current rail traffic information and useful information about public transport and the history and development of the railway system, as the railway company announced on the X platform. According to a survey, many passengers would wear headphones for music during their train journey and would sometimes miss important train announcements. The SBB radio station wants to remedy this. If the concept proves successful, the SBB will consider adding route-related special content to the program.
SELF-BOARDING: Geneva Airport has announced a new service for passengers to board the plane themselves. With an electric go-kart, they can now reach their plane independently via a signalized route without having to wait long at security checks, as the airport announced in a video on X. Passengers can also take a look behind the scenes at things like baggage handling at the airport. Anyone who has a driving license and wears a helmet and seat belts can use the service. Pedestrians and airplanes on the tarmac have the right of way.
EASTER BUNNY BAN: The website “20 minutes” reported that an anti-speciesist association has achieved that chocolate bunnies will no longer be allowed to be eaten at Easter in the future. From 2025, these sweets will have other shapes – such as cars. The Federal Council has heard the demands of a Swiss animal protection association. He is close to banning the sale of chocolate figurines imitating living creatures nationwide starting next year.
HIKING: Hiking, which is popular in Switzerland, is set to become an Olympic discipline. In the summer of 2024, hiking will be officially presented as a new discipline by the organizing committee of the Summer Olympics, reported the umbrella organization Swiss Hiking Trails. The popular sport will be tested in a demonstration competition for long-term inclusion in the competition catalog. Over four million hikers travel on Swiss hiking trails every year.
BUZZWORDS: The Party for Rational Politics, General Human Rights and Participation Parat has launched the idea of introducing an incentive tax on the use of trend words – so-called buzzwords. The tax is intended to create incentives to minimize the “inflationary use” of buzzwords such as “digitalization,” “sustainability,” “resilience” and “inclusion,” as the party announced. The measure aims to increase the quality of political debates and at the same time promote the sustainable use of language. The levy should be collected through AI technologies and benefit parties that advocate a “buzzword-free” discourse.
ROBOT CARS: The car subscription provider Carvolution has announced Switzerland’s largest pilot phase for autonomous driving on public roads with the Federal Roads Office (Astra). According to a statement from the company, thousands of vehicles with state-of-the-art automation systems will be used on Swiss roads by the end of 2024 in order to gain important insights into the safety and efficiency of autonomous driving. Three aspects would be examined: safety, communication between vehicles and with the infrastructure for better traffic flow, and acceptance among the population. A first test report should be available in November 2024.
POLICE LOT: According to their own information, the Winterthur city police are immediately replacing the district police’s small cars, which are over 20 years old, with climate-friendly light motorized bicycles in a pilot test. With the companions, which look like children’s bikes, the officials want to be even closer to the citizens in the Winterthur neighborhoods. You don’t have to worry about excessive speeds: the electric-powered two-wheelers have a maximum speed of 20 km/h. It was said that the two-wheelers could be folded up within a few seconds and pulled like a suitcase. This also enables the police officers to carry out spontaneous foot patrols in their neighborhoods.
SOLAR ROOF: “Südostschweiz” sent its online readers to April with a solar project idea. In the canton of Graubünden, some large-scale high-alpine solar projects met with resistance, most recently the one in the Splügen-Tambo ski area. Larger buildings should now be targeted. The city of Chur is initially planning to cover the roof of the historic Haldenstein Castle with solar panels. The roof area of the monument is sufficiently large and the old tiles have been visually disturbing the mayor of Chur for a long time.
MONUMENT: As part of the new train station design in Bern, the larger-than-life statue of the Bern mayor and general Adrian von Bubenberg (1424-1479) is to be moved to the castle in Spiez – the von Bubenberg’s former main residence. The municipality of Spiez has made a corresponding offer to the city of Bern, the “Berner Zeitung” and “Bund” reported online. “The stately monument would fit very well into the inner courtyard of our castle,” Spiez mayor Jolanda Brunner was quoted as saying. In return for the large statue, Bern is to receive the much smaller monument of Bubenberg on the castle terrace.
JOKE WORKSHOP: The news portal Ajour.ch revealed what many people didn’t know: A large part of the April 1st jokes come from Seeland. More precisely: from the Witzwil BE correctional facility (JVA). There, the inmates could take part in a special three-month program and practice writing April Fools’ jokes under expert guidance. These more than a hundred jokes every year would then be offered for sale throughout Switzerland. “Since this program was launched, we have been able to increase our share of the Swiss April Fool’s Day market to over 50 percent,” prison director Balz Bütikofer revealed to the portal.
2024-04-01 09:22:10
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