An initiative to make central Berlin largely car-free has been declared legal by the Berlin Constitutional Court, paving the way for organizers to collect signatures for a referendum.
The Berlin Constitutional Court on Wednesday said the “Berlin car-free” initiative can continue its legislative proposal, which would limit the use of passenger vehicles in central areas.
The decision came three years after the Berlin government took the initiative to court in 2022, arguing that the initiative would be constitutionally inadmissible.
“We must now get Berlin’s transport policy out of reverse gear and finally make progress with the transport transition,” said Marie Wagner, a spokeswoman for the initiative. “We stand for a city that belongs to the people, in which we shape out neighbourhoods ourselves, with lively streets and clean air.”
The initiative’s plans are targeted at reducing traffic in districts within the S-Bahn train service ring, which runs around central Berlin.
After a transitional period of four years, almost all streets within the area with the exception of main roads would be declared “car-reduced roads.”
Private car journeys would only be possible up to 12 times per year, with exceptions for people with disabilities, police, emergency services, fire brigades, refuse collection, taxis and commercial traffic.
Public buses would also be exempt from the restrictions.
The court is aware that the plans would cause considerable changes and restrictions, explained president Ludgera Selting.
She emphasized that the court had not decided whether the German capital would become car-free, a decision that remains “up to the people of Berlin.”
