Strict regulations to apply for bars and cafés

It is now only 52 days until Switzerland plays it first match (against Ecuador) in the World Cup in Brazil. English fans will not need telling that their team plays against Italy on the same day, Sunday 15 June.
 
As previously reported, there is to be no public viewing of football matches during the course of the 2014 World Cup which takes place between Thursday 12 June and Sunday 13 July. However, a number of restaurants, cafés and bars are planning to show matches live on TV. In fact many are looking forward to doing extra business, especially with most of the matches taking place in the evenings.
 
Not unexpectedly, landlords of these places need to apply for a special permit from the city authorities, especially if TVs are to be set up outside on terraces and gardens.
 
The permits stipulate, however, that (the diagonal length of) TV screens must be no bigger than 3 metres and that the use of beamers and loudspeakers is strictly prohibited. Furthermore, landlords will not be allowed to extend their area of service and no barbecues, awnings or marquees may be erected.
 
Some landlords thinks these regulations go a bit too far. "I cannot understand why we cannot set up a barbecue," said Michael Stehle, the managing director of the Plaza. "Surely these could be allowed as long as they do not bother anyone," he added, and Judith Huber, managing director of the Grand Café in the city agreed. "We would very much have liked to offer our guests something special during the course of the World Cup," she said. "I cannot remember having all these conditions imposed on us before, and I have been here for 14 years," she said.
 
As a result of the time difference in Brazil, all matches will take place in the evenings here. In fact 53 out of 64 games start between 6 pm and 10 pm Swiss time and ten games do not start until midnight, with one match not starting until 3 am. This means not all games will be allowed to be shown live on TVs outside as 10 pm is the latest kick-off time allowed for this.
 
Not only are some landlords disappointed, a local councillor has queried the regulations, too. Rainer Leemann of the FDP party wanted to know why all restaurants, cafés and bars were not automatically permitted to show live TV broadcasts of matches until a certain time. "And surely extensions could be given until 2 am at weekends," he suggested. "After all, the World Cup is an exceptional event."
 
However, Denise Gloor, who is in charge of public safety in the city, insisted the regulations should be enforced. "In allowing matches which only start at 10 pm to be shown live we have, in effect, already granted special dispensation as these encroach into the time when all is expected to be quiet."
 
She confirmed that actually only nine landlords had applied for special permission to screen live matches outside.
 
In the neighbouring canton of Lucerne similar regulations will be in force but in Zurich restaurants with gardens and street cafés will be able to set up TV screens without special permission.