The FDP is calling for more space for cars and free parking in city centers. The municipalities are not enthusiastic about this.
Representatives of cities and municipalities have reacted with irritation to the FDP’s proposal to reduce pedestrian zones and cycle paths in favor of car traffic and to abolish parking fees. “We want cities for people. That’s why demands for car-friendly inner cities sound like they’re from the day before yesterday. Inner cities are not primarily parking spaces,” said the general manager of the German Association of Cities, Helmut Dedy, to the newspapers of the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND).
The German Association of Towns and Municipalities (DStGB) called for more respect for the decision-making authority of municipalities. “It is clear that there is no magic formula for inner cities and town centers. The necessary decisions must be made locally by the city and municipal councils in accordance with the principle of local self-government,” DStGB General Manager André Berghegger told the RND newspapers.
The “supply mix” must be right
“What is needed is a balanced mix of public transport, cycle paths, pedestrian zones and offers for motorists.” There are rarely simple solutions to these complex challenges.
The retail association, however, declared that it was “important” “that the FDP takes the car into account as a means of transport with its proposals.” The car is the main means of transport for more than 60 percent of visitors to the city center, said the managing director of the German Retail Association (HDE), Stefan Genth. “Retail and the city center depend on good accessibility.”
FDP calls for more space for cars
What is needed, however, are holistic mobility concepts that include all road users, Genth continued. What is needed are inexpensive and nearby parking options, more frequent services and better connections to public transport, as well as cycle paths.
In a plan presented on Monday, the FDP is pushing for more free parking in city centers or, alternatively, nationwide “flat-rate parking.” In addition, fewer pedestrian zones and bicycle streets are to be set up to give cars more space in cities. The FDP said the move was “not a pro-car campaign.” It was simply about “freedom of choice in mobility.”
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
