A holiday in Switzerland will become more expensive: an Indian tourist will receive a fine of CZK 1,000 for a traffic violation a few months after his return | Today’s news
A dream holiday in Switzerland turned into a costly nightmare for a multiple-hit Indian tourist ₹1000 transport fine, almost a year after she returned home. Stunned by the massive sentence, she turned to the Internet to find ways to appeal the charges.
In X’s viral post, the 31-year-old woman shared that she was fined ₹1.5 lakh from Switzerland months after returning from the trip and sought help from netizens to help her find a way to get a pardon or appeal.
“Has anyone here from Switzerland been fined for a traffic offense a month after returning from holiday? We just got a challan for almost ₹1 lakh, almost a year after our trip. We are trying to understand if there is any way to appeal, reduce or get a waiver,” she wrote on X.
In a later comment, she revealed that the fine was actually more than ₹1 lakh — “We just realized it’s actually more than that, 1.5 million in total.
Read also | Delhi government issues stricter challan rules; 50% of the fine is required before going to court
Here’s how netizens reacted:
Shocked by the massive fine, social media users said it was “impossible to give up” and suggested she pay it as soon as possible to avoid being blacklisted for another Schengen visa.
“Abandoning the application from overseas will most likely result in an increased fine. Better pay it as soon as possible to avoid being blacklisted from the next Schengen visa,” the user said.
The user also claimed that while there is a way to appeal the fine, the woman’s viral post made the situation worse. “As you have taken over through X, the authorities can make sure they lead by example.
“Swiss traffic fines are huge. Pay them or they will accrue interest. You can also ask for a repayment plan; you might be able to pay it off gradually, step by step. Not sure if you’ll come back to the EU, they can still report you after 20 years,” said another user.
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Several netizens also shared their encounters with international fines, saying: “It’s quite common, in the last 10 years I’ve been fined 1 to 3 months after traveling by car in Europe, even though I tried my best to follow all the rules.”
“Yes we did. And it’s important to pay the fine. It won’t be waived or reduced. We got the ticket 5 months after we got back from our trip. We were 3 miles over the speed limit. Hope this helps,” said another user.
The netizen said: “I received three tickets, each worth 200-300 euros, about three or four months after returning from Switzerland, not a year later. The worst part was that it was not possible to pay online; the only option was SWIFT transfer, which took a lot of time. Most of my tickets were issued at the Austrian border, not directly from Switzerland.”
Read also | America ranked 18th in the best countries behind Switzerland, Denmark and Sweden
However, some users suggested that the woman should let the fine go and move on.
“My friend didn’t pay and life goes on for him,” the user said. Another added: “My friend and I got a speeding ticket from Italy and we just ignored it.”
“If you don’t plan to visit Switzerland again, don’t worry about it,” suggested one netizen. “Otherwise, if you don’t pay the fine and visit again, you won’t be able to rent a car or drive, or you could also be arrested.”
