Anyone in Basel who willingly gives up their car will be given a 1.500-franc bonus, under plans confirmed by the local government. The scheme is designed to get more drivers to ditch their vehicles in favour of public transport.

Anyone who gives up their car gets 1.500-franc bonus in Basel

In a statement, the government of Basel confirmed that a brand new bonus will be paid to anyone who de-registers their car. Under the “Environmental Bonus for Deregistered Cars” scheme, motorists in the city will be paid 1.500 francs for every car they deregister.

This money can then be used as credit to purchase public transport tickets and subscriptions, membership in car-sharing schemes, mobility credits for the payment system Reka Rail, or for the purchase or rental of bicycles or e-bikes. 700.000 francs will be spent on the scheme in total.

The new benefit will be launched in the autumn of 2025, alongside the start of the so-called Mobility Challenge. In that campaign, selected volunteers will receive free access to public transport for a month if they forgo their car during the same time. 

Basel pushes towards net-zero

The plans are part of Canton Basel-Stadt’s push towards carbon neutrality. With a net-zero target of 2037, the region is one of the most ambitious in Switzerland when it comes to decarbonisation.

The government council said they hope that along with other programmes, the scheme would make Basel car-free in future. “Households that surrender a car and claim the rebate will in future use more space-efficient, lower-emission, climate-friendly, and resource-friendly means of transport. This can lead to a reduction in local air pollutants, CO2, and noise emissions,” they wrote.

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