Italians to fight Swiss tax attack
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• The Italian government says it will take retaliatory action against Swiss truck drivers if Switzerland introduces tough new tax measures against Italian operators on 20 August.
The latest truck war between Switzerland and Italy, which also involves other member states of the EEC, began in 1985 when Switzerland introduced a new tax on foreign heavy goods vehicles.
The Swiss, whose territory has become a busy corridor for haulage between Milan and the Ruhr in West Germany, are concerned at what they see as the wowing threat to their roads, bridges and tunnels from foreign trucks of up to 40 tonnes, compared with Switzerland's own legal maximum of 28 tonnes.
Commercial vehicle traffic through Switzerland has increased by 120% since the St Gotthard Tunnel was opened six years ago.
The latest chapter in the dispute opened on 1 July when the Swiss government announced just before its summer recess that all Italian drivers would have to apply in writing for an official permit to drive through Swiss territory. The Italians immediately responded with a warning that Swiss drivers would be barred from entry into Italy unless the measure was dropped.
The Swiss say they cannot abandon the measure because it represents the "sovereign will of the people" as expressed in a recent nationwide referendum.