Will resident permits for drivers eventually cost 300 euros a year, ten times as much as they currently do? Will there be parking fees throughout the city and will parking then cost 20 euros a day? Will the old town become car-free within the Altstadtring? According to a report by the Intraplan office, the city would have to take such measures to make driving less attractive and thereby make an effective contribution to the European climate goals. In return, public transport is to be significantly expanded, with more frequent intervals and a larger range of rail and road services.
With the Climate Protection Act, Germany has set itself the goal of reducing CO2 emissions in the transport sector by 42 percent by 2030 compared to 1990. In 2020, the EU went one step further and set a target of a reduction of 55 percent. “If one assumes that this will also have a proportional effect on the national climate targets, then the transport sector in Germany must cut CO2 emissions by at least 53 percent compared to 1990,” write the experts.
The study was commissioned by the Munich Transport and Tariff Association (MVV), the Munich Transport Company (MVG), the Bavarian Railway Company and the City of Munich. The mobility department has them on its website muenchenunterwegs.de released. The aim was to find out how and whether the 53 percent can also be reached in the MVV area.
To anticipate the conclusion of the experts: It is ambitious, but almost feasible. By including a whole range of measures in their calculations, they arrive at a possible reduction in greenhouse gases of 51 percent compared to 1990.
However, in addition to stricter regulation and reduction of car traffic, this requires a whole series of individual measures in various areas of traffic. This includes local public transport, cycling and walking and so-called on-demand transport (e.g. shared taxis, bike or car sharing), motorized private transport and the electrification of transport. Much of this has been or is already being implemented or has at least been decided, such as new tram lines, the second main S-Bahn line, the Altstadt-Radlring or the cycle expressway to Garching and much more.
The experts assume that it is possible to reduce CO2 emissions in public transport (including long-distance transport) by 69 percent by 2030 compared to 1990, and in car traffic by 50 percent for the same period. Compared to 2018, it would even be 55 percent for cars. This corresponds to a reduction in emissions from 3.3 million tons of CO2 to 1.5 million tons and accounts for by far the largest part of the reduction. The more climate-friendly public transport emitted only 131,692 tons in the MVV area in 2018. If all of the measures listed work, emissions should drop to 40,129 tons.
Munich’s mobility officer Georg Dunkel sees his company’s course confirmed by the study. But this is not enough, he says. “As a municipality, we also need more opportunities to act independently, for example on the subject of parking fees,” says Dunkel. Without the appropriate legal framework and appropriate financial support, a change of course cannot succeed. MVG boss Ingo Wortmann explains that one has not been inactive in recent years and has “no knowledge deficit, but rather an implementation deficit”. But for an even more attractive public transport, “significantly more funding” is needed.