Millions of people often commute long distances to work every day – mostly by car, mostly alone. This is not only bad for the climate and threatens to overload the infrastructure. In times of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, it is also driving people into an “oil price trap,” according to the think tank Agora Verkehrswende – which is now making proposals for a comprehensive reform of commuter traffic in a study.
“Commuters don’t always need new financial relief from politicians, but a plan on how they can get to work in a climate-friendly manner in the future,” said Christian Hochfeld, director of Agora Verkehrswende. A fundamental trend reversal in commuter traffic must be heralded. To do this, the federal government must grant the municipalities more far-reaching freedom of decision.
In February, as part of an initial relief package in view of the rise in energy prices, the traffic light coalition decided to raise the commuter allowance for long-distance commuters in the tax return. At the same time, it was agreed that a reorganization of the commuter allowance should be aimed for in this legislative period – in order to better take into account “ecological and social concerns” of mobility.
Reduction of car privileges demanded
Agora Verkehrswende takes this up and calls for a turnaround in traffic on the way to work. The study says that a reduction in car privileges is “essential” for this. “A noticeable reduction in car use in commuter traffic and the carbon dioxide emissions caused by this can only be achieved if price and infrastructure measures are taken to limit car traffic.” 22.4 percent of the climate-relevant emissions from passenger transport are attributable to commuting – these can be attributed almost entirely to car traffic at 95 percent. In addition, commuting by car takes up significantly more space than commuting by public transport, bicycle or on foot. For decades, politicians have provided incentives to accept ever-longer journeys to work and primarily to travel by private car alone, says Hochfeld.
The study by Agora Verkehrswende together with the Institute for Regional and Urban Development Research in Dortmund states that commuting to work is responsible for around one fifth of passenger transport in Germany. Since 1976, average commuter distances have increased from a good eight to 16 kilometers. The number of people who do not work in the community in which they live was 19.6 million in 2020, more than 30 percent higher than in 2000. In the 2020 pandemic year, 68 percent of commuters chose the car : “They almost always drive alone.”
If traffic experts have their way, the future of commuting could look like this: less by car, much more by bus and train or, for shorter distances, by bicycle. Significant relocation effects can only be achieved if a mix of measures contains instruments that make using the car on the way to work unattractive, it says: “Only if commuters have to pay for the actual costs of owning and using a car will a Consider switching to alternative modes of transport.” A city toll is mentioned as a measure – and a general speed limit of 30 kilometers per hour in town and fewer free parking spaces. The commuter allowance should be converted into a mobility allowance, and the vehicle tax should be more closely based on CO2 emissions.
According to the study, a central lever is a massive expansion of local public transport, for example through higher frequency. In addition, it is a question of supplementing efficient local transport axes – for example with district buses and pedestrian and bicycle transport offers, in order to be able to cover the first and last mile of routes independently of the car: “If this door-to-door mobility is not guaranteed in the worst case, the entire commute is covered by car and the efficient public transport connection does not develop its full effect.”