Geneva repeals minimum speed limit law on major roads

The Geneva Grand Council has repealed a law that would have imposed a minimum speed limit of 50 km/h on major urban thoroughfares. This decision effectively cancels a referendum on the matter that had been scheduled for February 2027.

The repeal follows changes to the federal regulatory framework. The Swiss Federal Council revised the ordinance on road signaling, which now sets 50 km/h as the maximum speed on main roads within localities while allowing for reductions to 30 km/h to combat noise pollution, provided expertise shows no increase in avoidance traffic on residential streets.

Jacques Jeannerat, a deputy from Libertés et justice sociale, noted that the federal ordinance rendered the local Geneva law obsolete. Pierre Maudet, head of the Department of Health and Mobility, stated that the repeal aims to pacify the debate regarding transport and provides authorities with more flexibility to implement speed moderation strategies.