Swiss city opens drive-in sex sheds to deal with prostitution

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND (EVN/SRF) -Zurich has opened its first drive-in sex sheds in an attempt to regulate prostitution and move it out of the city center.

There are nine garage-like wooden boxes that clients can park their cars and use.

The boxes will be equipped with alarm buttons and posters encouraging safe sex practices. There will also be security presence on site.

The sheds only accommodate one car at time. There can only be one person per car, and clients must be over 18.

Authorities in the Swiss city want to stop sex workers from openly attracting clients in the city's Sihlquai district.

"Prostitution is a business basically. We cannot prohibit it, so we want to control it in favor of the sex workers and the population," Michael Herzig, director of social services for sex workers in the city, told AFP.

"Because if we do not control it, organized crime will take over as well as the pimps." he added.

Surrounded by a high fence, there is a track which clients drive around, choose a prostitute and negotiate a price. They then park in one of the boxes.

Before the shed came around, clients took prostitutes to a nearby forest or outside the city, where the sex workers often found themselves in dangerous situations.

"Here, they remain on site and can deal with customers quickly," said Ursula Kocher, director of Flora Dora, a support network for prostitutes.

Continued here:
Swiss city opens drive-in sex sheds to deal with prostitution