The 'inaccessible' town of Zermatt 'banned cars' from its streets and lives without petrol or personal vehicles, instead opting for 'milk float' vehicles to create public transport
An "inaccessible" town which made the decision to move away from motorised vehicles has "banned cars" entirely, with just one road leading in and out.
The idyllic landscapes of Zermatt, in Switzerland, has revoked the right to own a private car and even barred petrol-fuelled vehicles from the municipality.
Instead, those living in the town and requiring a vehicle must apply for special permits, which if granted, give them access to a custom built tiny car, crafted in the area.
Zermatt was deemed too inaccessible before cars, and by the time the four-wheeled time savers were in use around the globe, it became too late to truly fit them in.
But residents did not want the vehicles zooming through their streets anyway, instead opting to rely on public transport, walking and public vehicles.
The Alps-based ski resort appeared to have no interest in the motorised vehicles, as YouTuber Tom Scott found when he visited the valley-based location.
Just one "narrow and twisting" road allows car users, who must pay a large fee, into the municipality limits, meaning most will rely on the train service running to and from the town and neighbouring area.
The town now has particular requirements for those who can and cannot own vehicles, although builders and taxi drivers are given a little bit of leeway on vehicles.
Even then, those who are in need of a vehicle must apply for a government permit, and in the rare chance it is approved, the government will design and offer the car up, a tiny block fitting in with the aesthetics of the area.
Over the last two decades, the Swiss area has seen just 520 cars approved, which look more like "milk floats" than flash and interesting vehicles.
Those vehicles are used for police vehicles, bus transport and taxis, and they are all designed in the heart of the municipality.
It seems people from the outside are stumped at how the town manages without petrol vehicles, as the Vice President of the area, Iris Kündig, says life without cars is "normal" for those in Zermatt.