Freight and passenger transport

Every company that wants to transport goods or people commercially needs a transport operator's license from the Office of National Economy for this purpose.

The Law on the Licensing of Road Transport Companies and the Cross-Border Transport of Passengers and Goods by Road (LGBl. 2006 No. 185) forms the basis for the commercial transport of passengers and goods in Switzerland. An activity is commercial if it is carried out regularly, independently and with the intention of profit.

The EEA provisions on the activity as a transport operator apply to road haulage companies with vehicles with a total weight of more than 3.5 t and to road passenger transport companies with vehicles that have more than 9 seats (including the driver). The EEA Directive contains, among other things, provisions on reliability, professional qualifications and financial capacity (see Requirements).

So long as a company's vehicles have a maximum of 3.5 tons in freight transport, or a maximum of 9 seats (incl. driver) in passenger transport, a transport operator's permit can be issued up to this limit. The rules on professional qualifications and financial capacity are then not applicable.