In Nassereith

Referendum: Clear vote against Fernpass plans

A referendum was held on Sunday in Nassereith on the province's Fernpass package.(Bild: Hubert Rauth)

Should the municipality of Nassereith sell land to the state of Tyrol for the Fernpass project (tunnel, toll station)? A referendum on Sunday produced a clear result. 

Just under 50 percent of the 1,887 Nassereith residents eligible to vote took part in the survey. There were two questions:

• Should the municipality provide land for tunnel construction: 867 (94.1%) said no, 54 said yes.
• Should municipal land be ceded for a toll station? 877 (95.6%) said no, 40 yes.

As a reminder: voter turnout in the EU elections was 35%. A clear vote that will probably continue to generate discussion and will not silence the critical voices against the long-distance toll package.

Result is not binding
Opponents of the long-distance pass package had used their signatures to force a referendum in Nassereith, the result of which is generally not binding. In the run-up to the referendum, posters were used to massively campaign for a "no" to the sale of municipal land for the Fernpass tunnel and the associated toll.

There are fears of a transit disaster and, above all, the fall of the 7.5-tonne limit for trucks. Supported by Gurgiser's Transit Forum, residents on both sides of the B179 are fighting against the state's plans.