Persons interviewed

This survey collects data on passenger traffic flows across the Swiss border and Alps on road and rail. Data are collected by mode of transport:

• Data on the vehicle (country of registration, fuel)
• Data on vehicle occupancy (number of passengers, size of group)
• Data on the journey (place of origin, place of destination, border or Alpine crossing)
• Data on the purpose of journey

Most of the population is mobile on a daily basis and without exception all people are dependent on services that can only be made available thanks to transport. This means that we all benefit from the results of the survey: Reliable statistics are required to modernise Switzerland’s transport system so it can continue to meet the population’s needs in the future.

By participating in the survey, you can play a role in contributing to the development of a transport policy that is in accordance with needs.

No, participation is not compulsory. The survey is, however, very important as its results are a key basis for transport policy and spatial planning in Switzerland.

To ensure that the survey provides a reliable picture of transalpine and cross-border transport, everyone addressed needs to participate insofar as possible. It is only in this way that the needs of the entire population in the transport sector can be determined.

The days on which the interviews are held are selected randomly for all border and Alpine crossings. On these reference dates, as many randomly selected persons as possible are interviewed at the respective crossings.

This targeted process makes it possible to obtain scientifically correct results and to reduce the burden on respondents to a minimum at the same time. However, this presupposes that, as far as possible, all persons contacted within the scope of the survey are also able to take part in it.

Data protection is ensured. Data are collected without identification of the persons interviewed. No personal data such as names or addresses are recorded.

As soon as the survey is finished, the survey institute shall forward all data onto the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) and shall immediately destroy its own dataset. The survey institute has a contractual obligation towards the FSO for this purpose.

The protection of data is ensured by the Federal Statistics Act (SR 431.01), the Ordinance on the Conduct of Federal Statistical Surveys (SR 431.012.1) and the Federal Act on Data Protection (SR 235.1). The FSO works in close cooperation with the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC) in the execution of its tasks.

The results of the survey are expected to be made available to the public during 2027. The results are published on the Federal Statistical Office’s website.

Here you will find the results of the last survey from 2021:

Cross-border passenger transport

Transalpine passenger transport

Ordinance of 31 August 2022 on Data Protection (Data Protection Ordinance, DPO)

• Transport transfrontalier
• Trafic transalpin