By Jan Schilde
Did you notice? Thursday was International Car Free Day. Traffic jam on the A100, congested streets in the city centre. So everything as always.
Berlin has been involved for three years, at least the Senate and many initiatives. The Berliners themselves are obviously not quite there.
Although they were allowed to use public transport free of charge on Thursday, most drivers apparently did not switch to buses and trains.
Maybe it’s because people wanted to go about their everyday lives in a familiar way and with reliability. Possibly worried that trains and buses would be overcrowded, they would not make it to work on time.
Concerns that you don’t just have to have on this day. It is part of everyday life that subways and suburban trains are jam-packed during rush hour, that buses, especially in hard-to-reach outlying parts of the city, are all too often late or even cancelled.
Those who live in the inner city ring road can easily go to work by bike or by public transport. All others often lack the reliability, lack the attractiveness to switch. This is where politics should start first with a view to a mobility turnaround. Attractive offers are also used.