Business · Companies · 1 day ago
Parking shortages lead some Zurich tradespeople to turn down jobs
Tradespeople in Zurich are struggling to find parking while travelling to jobs.
The shortage is part of a wider problem reported by businesses in other Swiss cities.
In Zurich, the number of blue-zone spaces fell from 31,977 in 2021 to 29,924 last year, while white-zone spaces fell from 13,392 to 8,917.
Parking delays add to travel costs, which businesses may absorb, pass on to customers or avoid by turning down work.
Half of surveyed trades businesses sometimes turn down Zurich jobs, according to a survey by the Ofri platform.
The city says it is in contact with businesses and is reorganising public space to favour walking, cycling and other gentle forms of transport, while saying businesses should not suffer as a result.
A new rule would allow tradespeople to park briefly on pavements when needed, but the rule is currently blocked on legal grounds.
Some Zurich tradespeople are turning down jobs because they cannot find parking.
A survey by the tradespeople platform Ofri found that half of businesses sometimes no longer accept jobs in Zurich.
Tradespeople say they can spend a long time driving around to find a parking space, adding to job costs.
Zurich’s blue-zone parking spaces fell from 31,977 in 2021 to 29,924 last year.
The city says public space is being reorganised in favour of low-impact transport, but businesses should not suffer as a result.
- Who
- Tradespeople in Zurich, including construction businesses, say parking shortages affect their work.
- What
- Some businesses are turning down jobs because finding parking can make them unprofitable.
- When
- The report was published on 7 November 2026; the parking figures compare 2021 with last year.
- Where
- Zurich, Switzerland.
- Why
- A shortage of parking spaces means tradespeople may spend time searching for a place to park and incur costs they must absorb, pass on to customers or avoid by declining jobs.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Zurich had 31,977 parking spaces in blue zones.
Zurich had 29,924 blue-zone spaces and 8,917 white-zone spaces, down from 13,392.
- Ofri survey
- Half of surveyed trades businesses said they sometimes no longer accept jobs in Zurich.
- Blue-zone spaces
- 31,977 in 2021; 29,924 last year.
- White-zone spaces
- 13,392 in 2021; 8,917 last year.
- Park-card rule
- A new Zurich rule would allow tradespeople to park briefly on pavements when needed, but it is legally blocked.
What people are saying
Travel costs are costs too – they have to be passed on.
We very much regret that the situation in Zurich is so demanding and challenging for businesses – we are also in contact with them.