Switzerland considers 80km/h motorway limit amid fuel pressure

Low Rhine water levels and disruption linked to the war in the Middle East have tightened Switzerland’s fuel supply. The government has begun drawing on compulsory reserves, while officials are weighing whether an 80km/h motorway limit could help conserve fuel if pressure worsens.

Petrol and heating oil usually reach Switzerland by barge from Rotterdam, travelling up the Rhine through Basel. Persistently low water has sharply restricted those shipments. Other supply routes remain in operation, including crude oil shipped from the United States to Marseille and piped to the Cressier refinery in Neuchâtel. Rail also brings petrol and diesel from refineries such as Ingolstadt in Germany.

The government and transport industry say supplies are strained, but Switzerland does not face an acute shortage. The speed limit remains a contingency, not an immediate measure. The federal office says it would be considered only if a substantial share of reserves had been used and voluntary efforts to save fuel proved insufficient.

The proposed 80km/h limit would come into play only after other steps fell short. The federal office says officials would first look for substantial use of compulsory reserves and insufficient voluntary fuel savings before considering a restriction on motorways. The Federal Council could introduce the measure quickly, making it one option for a further disruption.

Switzerland’s reserves cover diesel, petrol, kerosene and heating oil. The government has released small amounts since September, including 4% of diesel reserves last week. Those stocks are intended to cover supply interruptions, including the disruption of normal deliveries along the Rhine.

A more serious risk would be a pipeline outage lasting several weeks. Last week, heavy rain in southern France flooded pumping stations and briefly interrupted a pipeline. That interruption was short, but it underlined how disruption to another route could add pressure while river shipments remain constrained. The government’s approach links any motorway measure to how much reserve stock is used and whether voluntary conservation works.

Benjamin Giezendanner says Switzerland has time before considering an 80km/h motorway cap. The transport operator and Swiss People’s Party (SVP/UDC) National Council member argues that motorway traffic already tends to move below the usual 120km/h limit. He opposes discussing a reduction as an immediate response, while accepting that the government must examine longer-term options.

Giezendanner also points to the level of stocks. If Switzerland continues reducing reserves at the current rate, he says, they would last more than 24 months. His assessment contrasts with the government’s precautionary planning, which keeps a rapid speed-limit measure available if supply conditions deteriorate and voluntary savings prove inadequate.

The disagreement centres on when a restriction would be justified, rather than whether the government should prepare for further disruption. The federal office’s stated threshold requires substantial reserve use before it would consider the measure. For now, the government has drawn on stocks in limited amounts while normal supply routes remain under strain.

Switzerland’s immediate outlook remains tight but stable, according to the government and transport industry. Their assessment is that fuel supplies face pressure, but the country has no acute shortage. The authorities have compulsory stocks of diesel, petrol, kerosene and heating oil, and have started releasing small quantities as a precaution.

Supply depends on several routes. Rhine barges normally carry petrol and heating oil from Rotterdam through Basel, while crude oil reaches Cressier by way of Marseille. Rail deliveries from refineries including Ingolstadt also bring petrol and diesel into the country. A prolonged pipeline outage could cause serious shortages, which is why the government is examining measures beyond reserve releases.

Whether an eventual 80km/h limit would apply to electric vehicles remains an open issue in the policy discussion. Exempting them would signal the benefits of electric motoring. Any decision on the speed limit would depend on reserve use and the success of voluntary fuel savings.