Touring Club Suisse
Fate | Representing the interests and providing services in the area of mobility |
---|---|
Founded | 1 September 1896 |
Headquarters | Vernier, Switzerland |
Key people |
Peter Goetschi (President) Jürg Wittwer (General Director) |
Members | 1.5 million (2015) |
Website |
www |
With just under 1.5 million members the Touring Club Suisse is the largest motor club in Switzerland. Its activities cover the fields of providing assistance to persons and vehicles, tourism and consumer advice in relation to personal mobility. The TCS is also committed to road safety education and accident prevention. Its head offices are located in Vernier in the Canton of Geneva.
Organisation
The TCS is a non-profit organisation. It defends the interests of its members on issues regarding personal mobility. The services it offers include legal protection (TCS private legal protection), motor vehicle insurances (TCS car insurance) and travel and repatriation insurances (ETI breakdown cover).
The TCS is divided into 24 regional sections. It is managed by a management board comprising 24 members and an assembly of delegates consisting of 145 members.
Mobility Academy
The "Mobility Academy" was founded in 2008 as a subsidiary of the TCS with the aim of "looking at the nature of future mobility". As a centre for further education and a think-tank, it is concerned with seeking a better understanding of trends, making them the basis for future activities in the field of mobility. The Mobilitätsakademie AG (Mobility Academy) founded the Swiss Forum for Electro-mobility in 2010 and has managed the affairs of the "Swiss eMobility" industry association since 2012. Since 2013, the Mobility Academy has organised the World Collaborative Mobility Congress (wocomoco) with support from international partners. In 2014, it started its commitment in bicycle traffic and launched "carvelo", the Swiss work bike initiative backed by the Migros Commitment development fund, as well as the eCargo Bike Sharing project "carvelo2go" with the TCS as national partner.
Activities
The club is primarily known in Switzerland for its roadside services.
Every year, the TCS tests various products such as child seats, car tyres, the quality of diesel fuels, ski helmets, car navigation systems etc. as well as cars. The Technical Centre which carries out these tests is located in Emmen (Lucerne).
The TCS is committed to road traffic safety and publishes brochures and leaflets for its members and schools on this subject. It participates in national campaigns which are financed by the SwissFederal Traffic Safety Fund. The TCS also conducts studies on the safety of the road transport infrastructure.
The TCS is invited to consultation procedures on issues relating to mobility by federal and cantonal authorities.
Ten times a year, members receive free of charge the "Touring" club periodical which is published in German, French and Italian. In addition, campers receive the "Camp Car" magazine which is issued eight times a year in German and French. The editorial offices of the press bodies are located centrally in Bern.
In collaboration with LION AIR, the TCS operates a Cessna 550 (registration number HB-VMX) which is specially equipped for repatriation flights for sick or injured persons.
The Club has over 19 technical centres, 37 camp sites and 2 hotels in Switzerland as well as 14 training circuits.
Since 1998, the TCS has been member of the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile).
Driving schools
- Lignières Driving School
- Betzholz Traffic Safety Centre in Hinwil
- Stockental Traffic Safety Centre in Niederstocken
- Derendingen Traffic Safety Centre
- Plantin Driving School
- Emmen Driving School
TCS hotels
- Hotel Schloss Ragaz, in Bad Ragaz
- Hotel Bella Vista, in Vira (Gambarogno)
Services
- Roadside assistance
- Vehicle and legal protection insurances
- Assistance for persons and vehicles in Switzerland and abroad
- Traffic information
- Tourism, recreation and camping
- Organisation of driving courses and two-phase training
- Traffic safety Prevention and training
- Return transport by ambulance in emergencies
References
- François Antoniazzi, Der Touring Club Schweiz im Spiegel von 100 Ereignissen 1896–1996, TCS Publishing, Geneva, 1996.
- Joseph Britschgi, Manuel d'enseignement de la circulation, TCS Publishing, Geneva, 1946.
External links
See also
- VCS Verkehrs-Club der Schweiz
- Touring Club Suisse: A history spanning over 100 years
- Touring No. 33, dated 18 August 1966, page 3
- Statues on the TCS website, visited on 4 March 2011