Final Tally For Speed Trap; Microplastics Pollute Rhein; City Construction Draws Public Ire

News For 13 June 2023

A few months ago we reported on an automated speed control camera installed at the entrance to the A3 motorway which also happens to be the site of major construction, and had been racking up a record number of fines issued.  The construction project led traffic authorities to reduce the allowed speed to 30km per hour, well below what drivers had been accustomed to and safer for the construction crew.  As of our earlier report, 3000 citations had been sent - and that number has been revised significantly by the city's accountants.  During the period when the system was on-line between end of February and mid March, a total 12,500 citations were issued representing a new single speed control record and, no doubt, revenue record.

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There's nothing like a cool splash in the Rhein now that temperatures have risen into the 30s again.  Unfortunately, your body won't be the only thing in the waters of Basel's famous river.  A new study released by ETH university in Zürich suggests that the waters of the Rhein in Basel contain the highest concentrations of microplastics in Switzerland.  Apparently, the Rhein carries 50 grams of microplastics per cubic meter of water in Basel which can be sourced to the urban tributaries in Zürich, Bern and Luzern.  Each year, ETH estimates 15 tons of microplastics end up in the Rhein.

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Unless you don't leave your city dwelling often, you probably noticed the ridiculous number of construction projects snarling traffic and movement.  Apparently, politicians have received sufficient complaints from their constituents that the Great Council of Basel passed a resolution last week calling for the acceleration of all public works to reduce the unbearable congestion.  In addition, the motion will require the total number of concurrent projects to be reduced by a third.