Villach vs. Völkermarkt: Carinthia's car motorization in focus

Villach vs. Völkermarkt: Carinthia's car motorization in focus

In Carinthia, a new analysis by the Verkehrsclub Austria (VCÖ) shows that the differences in the car seat between town and country continue to grow. The district of Völkermarkt with 707 cars per 1,000 people has the highest level of motorization in all of Carinthia, followed by Wolfsberg (701) and Klagenfurt-Land (688). In contrast, the city of Villach is found with only 598 cars per 1,000 inhabitants at the lower end of the scale. These in -depth insights are based on the current data of statistics Austria.

A special finding is that the number of cars per 1,000 inhabitants in Klagenfurt has dropped, while in the other districts of Carinthia the cars have increased per capita. This development reflects a nationwide trend in which the motorization rates in cities tend to decrease. VCÖ expert Michael Schwendinger explains that in urban areas there is often a wide range of mobility that enables residents to achieve their daily goals more easily and without a car. Shops, schools and leisure activities are often easily accessible on foot or by bike, which increases freedom when choosing the means of transport.

freedom in the choice of transport

As the analysis shows, more and more people no longer want to rely exclusively on their car. "The cities offer more diverse mobility options, which gives people freedom to choose different means of transport as needed," notes Schwendinger. It is noteworthy that the car seat quota was even higher in Klagenfurt in 1991 than in the surrounding districts. The change to pragmatic and flexible mobility could also be seen in response to increasing costs and environmental concerns.

In addition to motorized mobility, the use of public transport also plays an important role. The Carinthian climate set is a cheap alternative here and enables users to use all public transport in Carinthia for only 399 euros (from January 1) for a whole year. Such an offer costs about as much as the full costs that are incurred on average for a month of car driving. This makes it clear that more climate -friendly mobility solutions are not only environmentally friendly, but also economically advantageous.

public transport and cycling infrastructure

The promotion and expansion of public transport are key factors to move the population to use buses and trains. VCÖ expert Schwendinger emphasizes that more frequent connections, even in the evening and on weekends, as well as a good connection to national train connections are decisive. "The population has to be well informed and motivated to recognize the advantages of public transport," he emphasizes.

Another aspect that can help reduce car addiction is the expansion of the bike paths. In many rural regions, everyday paths are often shorter than ten kilometers, which makes the bike a practical alternative to the car. In particular, the popular e-bikes could replace many short car rides, provided the cycling infrastructure is safe and well developed.

Finally, it turns out that while the car use in rural areas such as Völkermarkt is still high, the cities of Carinthia have a positive trend towards more varied mobility. In order to further support this transition, all actors, from the municipalities to the tourism regions, are required to find and implement creative solutions.

For more information on these findings and its backgrounds, reference is made to the detailed analysis of the VCÖ, as it can be read at www.meinbezirk.at.