SWISS airline resumes its flights to Iran

After suspending its operations to Beirut and skirting the Iranian airspace since April 13th for security reasons, the national airline will resume  twice-weekly flights to Beirut — on Tuesdays and Saturdays — from May 4th.

“This decision is based on the lull observed in Beirut and Iran,” the company said. “After carrying out extensive evaluations, SWISS has concluded  that it is once again possible to ensure flight safety in the these regions.”

Train travel from Switzerland to Italy to be disrupted amid summer holiday rush

From June 9th, and for at least three months, the train service between Italian cities of Domodossola and Milan will be interrupted due to railway works, also disrupting travel between western Switzerland and Italy.

A bus service will run between the two cities, adding at least an hour to the trip in the best traffic conditions.

However, this plan is not acceptable to Swiss national railway company, SBB.

“Given the scale of the work, we are considering setting up direct buses from Geneva and Lausanne to Milan via the Grand Saint-Bernard tunnel,” the company said. “We are planning around three buses in each direction every day.”

“Our objective is to implement the best possible travel options for our passengers,” according to spokesperson Jean-Philippe Schmidt.

Swiss citizens set to vote on legalising cannabis

A new initiative proposes the legalisation, possession, cultivation, and sale of cannabis in Switzerland, the Federal Chancellery announced. 

The initiative entitled “Legalising cannabis: an opportunity for the economy, health and equality” also calls for revenues from the taxation of cannabis products to be allocated to drug prevention.

The organisers have 18 months to collect the 100,000 signatures required for a popular initiative to brought to the ballot box on national level.

In a previous referendum held on this issue, in 2008, 63 percent of voters rejected the legalisation. Since then, however, the tide may have turned, according to a government survey published in 2021.

In the meantime, several Swiss cities — Basel, Zurich, Geneva, Bern, Lausanne, and Lucerne — have launched pilot projects to see what health and social effects the regulated sale of cannabis has on its users, and society in general.

READ ALSO: Switzerland’s current rules on cannabis 

Zurich has a new ‘ride-hailing’ service

Uber’s monopoly on Switzerland’s ride-hailing market is about to be broken, at least in Zurich: an Estonian company, Bolt, is launching its own service in Switzerland’s largest city.

In Zurich and Basel, Bolt already offers e-scooters and e-bikes that can be booked via its app.

On Tuesday, the company launched the car service as well, for the time being only in Zurich and the surrounding areas.

Bolt keeps 20 percent of the turnover— 5 percent less than Uber — with the rest going to the drivers.

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