Bundestag
Traffic light groups agree on traffic reforms
The traffic light factions agree on important traffic reforms. photo
© Matthias Balk/dpa
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has announced the “Germany pace”. However, the coalition has recently stalled on key projects. Now there is a breakthrough.
The traffic light groups agreed on important reforms in the transport sector on Monday. On the one hand, this involves faster planning and approval of certain rail and highway projects and the renovation of dilapidated bridges, and on the other hand, an expansion of the Truck toll.
This was preceded by weeks of negotiations between the government factions of the SPD, Greens and FDP. Draft laws are now expected to be passed by the Bundestag this week. This also includes a reform of road traffic law.
Reactions from the parties
Green party deputy Julia Verlinden told the German Press Agency that the agreement on the laws on road traffic law, truck tolls and planning acceleration were a “historic turning point for modern, safe and climate-friendly mobility” in Germany. “People in Germany can look forward to more cycle paths, pedestrian crossings and bus lanes as well as better trains.”
FDP parliamentary group deputy Carina Konrad said: “The years of neglect of our infrastructure have slowed down our citizens and our economy for far too long and threaten the prosperity of our country.” Motorways, railways and waterways could now be built more quickly.
SPD parliamentary group deputy Detlef Müller said important transport projects should be accelerated, including the urgent renovation of bridges. “I am very pleased that after long, very strenuous and difficult negotiations the breakthrough was achieved today.”
The agreement is based on decisions made by the coalition leaders at the end of March. In the past few weeks, however, there have been negotiations within the government factions about draft laws. At the end of September, the FDP accused the Greens of blocking the process.
Planning acceleration
A renovation backlog in the transport sector is to be lifted. This is about accelerating the implementation of rail projects, but also motorway projects that are hot spots and bottlenecks. Specifically, it’s about track extensions. In addition, every available area on motorways should be used for solar generation in the future, as stated in a Green Party paper available to the German Press Agency.
The list of motorway expansions to be accelerated is “exhaustive” and applies once. How quickly the projects would be implemented also depends on the investment funds available. The Greens had long had reservations about accelerating planning for motorways.
Dilapidated bridges should receive a “repair booster,” as the Green paper says. The renovation of bridges will be made faster through a number of simplifications and exceptions.
Truck toll
As already provided for in the draft law, a CO2 surcharge is to be introduced for the truck toll. The coalition wants to provide incentives to accelerate the switch to trucks with climate-friendly drives.
Billions in revenue from the truck toll are to flow into rail for the first time. The rail network in Germany is partly dilapidated, resulting in train cancellations and delays. From the summer of next year until 2030, particularly heavily used routes are to be fundamentally renovated.
Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) said in mid-September that the federal government wanted to make an additional 40 billion euros available to rail by 2027. A large part of the funds will come from the reform of the truck toll. “With the toll change, we reflect the actual costs of mobility and also generate important income, especially for the rail infrastructure,” explained Müller.
Road Traffic Act
“Instead of roads and cars, people and their health as well as climate protection will become the focus of transport policy in the future,” says Verlinden. The background is that in addition to the fluidity and safety of traffic, the goals of climate and environmental protection, health and urban development should also be taken into account in the Road Traffic Act. This should make it easier for municipalities to set up 30 km/h zones.
The Federal Council must agree to the changes. State transport ministers had already signaled that they still saw a need for improvement. Specific regulations are then contained in the road traffic regulations, which are also to be changed.