Vienna is fighting traffic problems: New concept for faster public transport!

Vienna is fighting traffic problems: New concept for faster public transport!

Public transport in Vienna is under pressure, particularly due to incorrectly parked vehicles, which often lead to traffic delays. Loud Cosmo There were a total of 1,528 cases of illegal parking in 2022, with 939 of these incidents involving trams. Trams that are tied to tracks and cannot avoid them are particularly affected. The situation has largely stabilized in recent years, with an average number of around 1,500 cases registered per year.

To counteract the challenges, the Vienna public transport company has taken measures. In September 2023, the penalty for blocking public transport was increased to 365 euros. Of the recorded incidents, 1,060 were reported, indicating that the authorities are actively addressing this issue.

Adjustments for a better traffic situation

Wiener Linien is working with the district administrations to defuse the problem areas. Infrastructure measures such as sidewalk widening and additional greenery are already showing positive effects. An example of this is Kreuzgasse in Vienna-Währing, where the number of illegally parked vehicles was reduced from 363 in 2020 to just 210 in 2024 - a decrease of over 40 percent.

Comprehensive redesign measures are planned for the summer of 2025, which will include, among other things, widening sidewalks, extending the tram stop and creating additional green spaces. The investment volume for these measures is over 600,000 euros.

Traffic disruptions

The problem of traffic disruptions is also exacerbated by an increasing number of disruptions. Loud ORF There were 45 percent more disruptions in 2022 compared to the previous year, which meant a total of 17,800 disruptions. The main reason was delays, which saw a 142 percent increase with 8,048 cases. However, Wiener Linien explained that the number of disruptions was generally relatively constant, which contradicts the figures from the real-time data platform “f59.at”.

Wiener Linien also points out that the data from “f59.at” is not representative and that the system of published data is constantly being developed. Despite an expanded public transport network, the number of disruptions of five minutes or more has hardly changed in recent years - in 2022 there were around 2,900 such disruptions, which is fewer than the 5,400 in 2016.

In addition, it should be noted that by August 24, 2023, almost as many disruptions caused by defective vehicles had already been registered (1,482) as in the whole of 2022 (1,754), which the Wiener Linien considers to be incorrect, as the transport companies emphasize that they have further improved their passenger information.