At the end of June, the Council Chancellery of the Canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden set a tough tone in a press release: "Mountain bikers are not permitted to ride on hiking trails across meadows, in the Alps or in forests other than the specified routes. The cantonal police carry out sporadic checks and check whether the bans are being followed." Mountain biking in the canton is only permitted on the eight official mountain bike routes, which are largely free of single trails. Anyone who does not adhere to these routes must expect a fine of 30 francs. However, Kapo press spokesman Paul Broger kept his mouth shut to Radio SRF: "They don't go hunting, but they do impose fines for police patrols," he explained.

According to the Council Chancellery, the main reason for the crackdown on mountain bikers is not primarily conflicts with hikers but the protection of flora and fauna. In its communication, it states that the absence of mountain bikers "helps to preserve the unadulterated experience of nature". In other words, Appenzell is of the opinion that mountain bikers on single trails damage plants and animals, even putting them at risk of extinction, according to the press release. The possible real reason for the ban is more likely to be found in a statement by Kapo press spokesman Broger. "Many hiking trails are made available by private owners. They don't appreciate bikers racing across their land," he told Blick.ch.

Unclear legal situation
The canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden cites the legal situation as the basis for its stricter approach. However, this is nowhere near as clear as they claim. Article 13 of the cantonal forest law states that "riding is only permitted on paved or specially signalized paths". However, there is still no legal definition of a "paved" path. In discussions, the spectrum ranges from "paved" if a path is suitable for trucks to the view that a built and maintained footpath is already considered paved.

The canton of Appenzell, on the other hand, relies primarily on the national Road Traffic Act of 1958, which states in Article 43: "Paths that are not suitable for motor vehicles or bicycles or are obviously not intended for this purpose, such as footpaths and hiking trails, may not be used by such vehicles." As clear as this sentence may sound, its legal foundation is vague. The definition of "obviously not intended for this purpose" has changed completely over the last two decades. Verification on footpaths and hiking trails is far removed from social reality. In addition, a hiking trail does not have to be defined by its width, but can also ride along a wide forest road or even an asphalt road.

Neighboring cantons are rubbing their hands
With its media release, the canton of Appenzell is doing little more than reinforcing its somewhat backward and conservative cliché. This is actually a shame, because Eastern Switzerland in particular has enormous potential for mountain bikers - in harmony with flora, fauna and pedestrians. Meanwhile, the neighboring and bike-friendly canton of Graubünden is rubbing its hands in glee. Here, mountain bike tourism has developed into a central element of summer tourism. With targeted and strategic management of offers and an appeal to mutual tolerance, a successful and sustainable path was taken here several years ago.

Report on SRF radio (report starts at 5:05 minutes):