Rail or road? In the traffic light coalition, the acceleration of planning in the transport sector was hotly debated for a long time. The Bundestag has now passed the law.
Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing appears to be in a good mood as he steps up to the lectern. He thinks: “In general, today is a good day for everyone who wants to be mobile.”
In the coalition agreement, the traffic light had already decided to be faster in the future when expanding and repairing bridges, railways and roads. Twenty years of planning and construction phases should finally be a thing of the past in Germany.
It’s high time for more determination, said Green Party politician Susanne Menge. “We’ve spent so little on maintenance for a long time that we have a bow wave in front of us. It’s good that we’re tackling the problem now.”
Rocky path
The road to the law passed today was long and rocky. The traffic light parties had very different ideas about what exactly should be planned and built more quickly. While the Greens were more concerned with climate-friendly rail, the FDP also wanted the same speed for motorways.
What followed were laborious negotiations that dragged on for months, admits Detlef Müller from the SPD. “What takes a long time is finally good. After lengthy negotiations, we are presenting a very good law today.”
The law stipulates that particularly urgent projects will in future be given the label “of outstanding public interest”. This label makes it possible to shorten procedures and ultimately start faster.
CDU criticized Legislative process
Criticism of the law comes from the opposition. Wolfgang Wiehle from the AfD accuses the Liberals of being ripped off by the Greens: “The FDP is allowed to appoint the transport minister, but the Greens determine the direction.”
The CDU mainly criticizes the legislative process and less the content. The opposition parties were given too little time to make suggestions for changes. Union MP Ulrich Lange is even reminded of Robert Habeck’s controversial heating law: “Mr. Wissing, you are the new Habeck. But there is a difference, one is a philosopher, the other has a doctorate in law.”
The law was passed in the Bundestag with the votes of the government factions SPD, Greens and FDP.