Public passenger transport on Switzerland's lakes and rivers cost CHF 199 million in 2015, while goods transport on the Rhine cost CHF 144 million. This amounts to a total of CHF 343 million, most of which was spent on means of transport: the acquisition, maintenance and operation of boats accounted for 70% of navigation costs.
The cost per kilometre of transport on the Rhine was 7 centimes per tonne of goods in 2015. This is much lower than for rail (17 centimes) and heavy road vehicles (55 centimes). This low cost is due to the large tonnages involved and the low cost of infrastructure. However, the Rhine is only suitable for import and export traffic.
Note: Unlike other modes of transport (road, rail, air), data on navigation costs are only collected every 5 years.
