Vienna becomes car -free: the hot debate about speed limits and burners!

Vienna becomes car -free: the hot debate about speed limits and burners!

Wien, Österreich - Austria, traditionally known as a driver country, stands before far -reaching changes in the mobility sector. The focus is on Vienna, which plans to banish private transport from the city center from 2026. This strategy includes massive investments in cycle paths and the reduction of parking spaces, a step that is reflected in the endeavor to improve urban air quality. In addition, the so-called “air hundred”, a speed restriction on motorways, is abolished by the FPÖ-ÖVP state government in Styria. However, this was originally introduced to reduce fine dust and nitrogen dioxide, but is now up for debate, while road construction projects, which were previously stopped by the former Green Infrastructure Minister Leonore Gewessler, are put back on the agenda.

In the larger context, there are discussions about the planned end of combustion engines from 2035 at EU level. The decision about the future of automobile, the meaningfulness of speed simits on motorways and the possible changes in the burner ban are currently being discussed. These debates will be deepened in the program "Pro and Contra" on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at 10:35 p.m. on Joyn & Puls 4, where Lena Schilling, a MP in the European Parliament of the Greens, and Laura Sachlehner, member of the state parliament of the ÖVP Vienna.

political opinions and measures

A survey shows that not only Austria, but also Germany faces similar challenges in the traffic sector. In 2019, the traffic sector in Germany emblazoned about 165 million tons of CO2, which almost corresponds to the 1990 level. Current statistics illustrate that around 96 % of these emissions come from road traffic, which indicates the necessary switch to sustainable mobility. The political parties in Germany have developed different approaches to meet these challenges. While some parties, such as the left, support a reduction in cars in city centers and higher taxes for large vehicles, others, such as the FDP and Union, rely on strengthening individual traffic and consider public transport only as a supplement.

The discussion about a speed limit on motorways is also a hot topic. According to a survey, 63 % of Germans support such a limit. The SPD, the Greens and Left struts of speed limits of 130 km/h or 120 km/h, while Union, FDP and AfD significantly reject. This divergence shows the significant need for action, which is also associated with different opinions about the appropriate measures.

Sustainable mobility in focus

In the context of the climate goals, a traffic turnaround is essential to master the climatic challenges. The traffic sector must reduce its CO2 emissions to 85 million tons by 2030, which corresponds to almost halving within a decade. In addition, strategies to avoid traffic, relocation and increase in efficiency must be implemented in order to get closer to these goals. A key to achieving these goals lies in the expansion of public transport and the promotion of cycling, both of which are crucial to reduce the dependency on motorized private transport.

Political initiatives and programs, such as the national cycling plan in Germany, aim to develop cycling speeds and to support the advice of municipal traffic planners. Such measures are crucial to make the mobility of the future sustainable and at the same time maximize the health and social advantages of a more environmentally friendly transport infrastructure.

summarized the question of what the future of cars will look like in urban areas, while both in Austria and in Germany intensive debates about speed limits and the ban on combustion engines are conducted. The pressure on the politically responsible is growing to find clear and cooperative solutions in order to cope with the challenges of the transport sector.

Read more about these topics in the reports of otsmedien , Campact and bpb .