One million francs emergency aid for Kunstmuseum
The Basler government has stepped in to help the Kunstmuseum with a grant of 925,000 francs to keep up with the rising costs of maintaining the new extension building.
This is following a statement which was issued by the financial commission of the Grand Council and read out in the city hall yesterday. The government was told that it was “not realistic” to expect the Kunstmuseum to run merely on the money originally planned, and as a result requested the financial commission to raise the budgets’ supplementary grant by 925,000 francs. The reason put forward for the request was “operational challenges for the staff”.
The increase in exhibition space and the complex architecture of the new extension require more supervisors to protect the exhibited works of art, the statement said. The maintenance of the building has also become more complex.
Recent calculations show that the budgeted income was too high and the expenses for material and staff for the maintenance too low. It is expected that the additional grant will help end to the museum’s financial difficulties. An operational analysis of the Kunstmuseum will be conducted ahead of the budget in 2019 in order to detect the museum’s financial requirements in the future.
Man robbed and threatened with murder in Basel
The police are looking for three suspects after a 34-year-old was threatened and robbed in Basel in the early hours of Thursday morning.
The criminal police say the victim had driven to a nightclub in Basel with three men he had earlier met in a local pub in Liestal. When he left the club, the three men allegedly robbed the man and threatened to kill him. They then apparently searched him and stole his wallet, which containing several hundred francs. They also punched him in the face. The attackers then drove off in their car towards Messeplatz. The drunk victim called the police. An immediate manhunt remained unsuccessful.
The police are looking for three unknown men, between 25-30 years old, between 175-180cm tall, who spoke in a Basel dialect. The suspects fled in a silver/grey or black VW Golf with Swiss number plates. Anyone who has useful information about this crime should contact the criminal police of the prosecution on 061 267 71 11, or go to the nearest police station.
Basel's new radars are more precise due to new sensor
New traffic radars are due to be installed around Basel and at the moment, some are out of service. By the end of 2018, all radars will be equipped with more precise cameras and brand-new sensors. The data of suspects will however not be stored.
They are silent, discrete, and without mercy if they catch someone. The new radars currently being installed around Basel-Stadt contain the latest technology. The new sensors do not need to be set into the tarmac, and the pictures taken of speeding cars are more accurate. Much more.
“The technology of the new instruments cannot be compared to the old ones,” police spokesperson Toprak Yerguz told barfi.ch, adding that the new radars must be installed in stages. The precision meets the “strict requirements” of the Federal Office of Metrology (Metras), said Mr Yerguz. The old radars are massively out of date: In the last ten to fifteen years, this technology has changed drastically. All radars will be installed by the end of 2018.
The radar is also a data collector
The semi-stationary radars are also equipped with new technology. The police will have three radars instead of only one radar. These will be installed on moveable stands and can be deployed in residential areas, for example. A video supervision or prosecution is not possible, as the radars are equipped with alarm systems. Paranoid people can take a deep breath, while speeding drivers cannot.
And the future data collection? Mr Yerguz explained: “Every vehicle is going to be measured when passing and the number of vehicles will be counted for the statistics, so the quota of those breaking the rules can be evaluated. Other data such as average speed or type of vehicle can't be registered by the radars.” For this there is statistic equipment on the side which is used separately. Data protection is warranted except for those exceeding the speed limit.
Tactics of uncertainty for speeding drivers
The new devices cost 2,7 million francs and have already been approved by the Grand Council. The concept for the usage of radars was moderately altered: Not all of the stationary radars are to be equipped with flashes. This tactics of insecurity should keep speeding drivers on a leash.
The locations of stationary radars are marked on the cantonal map, unlike in Baselland. Here, especially on the motorways, inspections can happen at any time, there are also more mobile devices in service. In Basel-Stadt, this is slowly changing: as soon as the new radars are installed, drivers must be extra careful when it comes to their speed. While there is still goodwill among drivers due to construction works, after the works have finished the flashes will work more precisely and more mercilessly.