“People are looking for an alternative to cars”

A representative study carried out by the German environment agency UBA published Monday shows that ever more people feel that cars are a burden on their everyday lives. 82 percent of those surveyed expect their politicians to ensure that urban planning has a positive impact on pedestrians, cyclists and local transport. “People are tired of cars,” said the managing director of the German Pro-Rail Alliance, Dirk Flege, on Monday in Berlin. “However, the dominance of cars in cities and communities will not be challenged as long as politicians fail to do enough to ensure that travellers have alternatives.” The UBA study has unmasked the fact that Germany’s traditionally car-centred transport policies are now out-dated. “People do not want to drive, they have to drive. For a long time they have had their own views on quality of life and what makes inner cities worth living in, in contrast to what the automotive lobby says to convince politicians,” said Flege.
He pointed out that a study by the Pro-Rail Alliance showed that year on year, the railways are transporting record numbers of passengers, particularly in big cities. “When rail services are being offered there will be a flood of passengers on the trains,” said Flege. With particular regards to the upcoming reform of government funding for regional transport, he called on the government to finally take its foot off the brake. “It is remarkable that while the environment minister is calling for a new model for urban transport, the transport minister is saying nothing and the finance minister is providing a bare minimum of funding.”