Traffic calming in cities: New Law for Gentle Traffic!

Traffic calming in cities: New Law for Gentle Traffic!

Wien, Österreich - On April 6, 2025, Minister Minister Peter Hanke sent a novella of the Road Traffic Regulations (StVO) into government coordination. This novella aims to enable automated and camera -based access management in the Austrian municipalities. More than 25 cities have already expressed interest in this fundamental innovation in order to promote traffic calming in their inner cities. The urban district president and mayor Michael Ludwig supports the amendment and emphasizes the advantages for the greening and the quality of stay. The city of Vienna plans to implement the new legal options promptly.

Vienna's mobility councilor Ulli Sima emphasizes that a previous feasibility study has shown that up to 15,700 entrances into the inner city can be prevented by the new measures. Walter Ruck, President of the Vienna Chamber of Commerce, underlines that traffic calming increases the quality of stay and benefits both gastronomy and trade. The district leader of the inner city, Markus Figl, emphasizes that traffic calming makes a significant contribution to the quality of life.

Legal basis for automated access controls

The Austrian Confederation has been calling for a clear legal basis for automation -supported access controls for years. With the current amendment, the legal framework is now created, with the concrete implementation lying in the hands of the cities and municipalities. According to the assessment, the amendment should come into force on January 1, 2026. These steps are part of a larger plan to increase the quality of life in urban rooms.

In order to ensure that automated zoning management can also be implemented in accordance with data protection, the urban association and the Ministry of Climate Protection Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Forgó from the University of Vienna commissioned to create a corresponding expert opinion. This report has shown that such a system is feasible taking into account strict data protection measures. This also includes that the vehicle license plates and vehicle drivers must be visible, while other people are made unrecognizable. Photos that are not required for administrative criminal proceedings must be deleted immediately.

role of the municipalities and other institutions

The report emphasizes that access to the collected data should be kept restrictively. Only a limited group of people should be able to access this, and measures for risk and data minimization must be determined for each specific area and regularly evaluated. Health and traffic surveillance should serve to improve traffic safety and the environment. Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler points out the need to find compensation when implementing climate protection measures and data protection.