German Road Safety Institute

Opposes Cycling Funds Cuts

PHOTO: POLIZEI OBERFRANKEN16 JAN - The German Road Safety Council (DVR) has urged the government not to cut spending on cycling infrastructure.

During a recent amendment session for the Federal Budget Law in the German Bundestag the Federal Ministry of Finance has proposed areas where the government can cut costs, including funding for cycling infrastructure.

Amendments

Due to a reduction of special funds from the previous legislative period, the budget law for 2024, presented last year, indicates significantly fewer resources available for cycling promotion. If the German Bundestag follows the current proposal by the Federal Minister of Finance, the central funding program will shrink by an additional 44 million euros. Additionally, support for bicycle parking facilities at train stations will be eliminated.

Problem

"The federal support for cycling infrastructure is a crucial tool for enhancing road safety. Cutting funds in this area is incompatible with the Vision Zero goal: cyclists lack a protective shell and require infrastructure that maximally safeguards them. The federal government had taken responsibility for this through the 'City and Countryside' funding program and should continue to do so", DVR President Manfred Wirsch commented.

Planning

One particularity of these funding programs is that the expenditure of funds spans several years, from planning to actual construction. However, a recent parliamentary inquiry on allocated funds revealed a high demand for the program. Thus Wirsch further stated: "In the field of transportation infrastructure, we face a shortage of skilled professionals. Administrative bodies, planning firms, and construction companies are not idly waiting for contracts. Therefore, long-term reliable planning is needed to create secure cycling routes. Cuts would send a completely wrong signal. Every year we mourn over 400 fatalities involving cyclists or e-bike riders. Ensuring a safe infrastructure, especially at intersections, is the most critical approach to changing this."

The DVR was founded in 1969 to be a central non-governmental unit in the field of road safety in Germany and is a strong ROADPOL partner.