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Federal Government's First 100 Days: Uncertain Signals for Transport Transformation - ACE Remains Vague

Following a century of governance, the ACE Automobile Club perceives a mix of positives and negatives in traffic policy, yet a coherent direction for traffic transformation remains unclear.

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Federal Government's First 100 Days: ACE Provides No Clear Direction for Transportation...
Federal Government's First 100 Days: ACE Provides No Clear Direction for Transportation Transformation

Federal Government's First 100 Days: Uncertain Signals for Transport Transformation - ACE Remains Vague

After 100 days in office, the Auto Club Europa (ACE) has completed a comprehensive review of Germany's traffic policy, presenting a series of demands aimed at improving mobility, sustainability, and safety. The organisation's key demands include:

  1. Affordable driver training: ACE advocates for making driver education economically accessible for all, reducing financial barriers for obtaining a driving license.
  2. Support for electromobility: ACE seeks stronger backing for the transition to electric vehicles, promoting green and clean transport solutions as part of Europe's mobility transformation.
  3. Infrastructure funding: ACE calls for increased investment in road and transport infrastructure to ensure safe, efficient, and modern mobility networks.
  4. Introduction or support of a Germany ticket: ACE favours measures to facilitate public transport use through affordable tickets, encouraging multimodal mobility including public transit as part of the overall transport system.
  5. Vision Zero: ACE aligns with the Vision Zero goal, aiming for zero fatalities and serious injuries in road traffic, enhancing road safety measures.
  6. Speed limit regulation: While specific details of ACE’s stance on speed limits weren’t detailed, ACE’s focus includes safety and efficient mobility, implying support for reasonable speed policies in Germany’s traffic system.
  7. Cycling and pedestrian traffic: ACE advocates improved conditions and safety for cyclists and pedestrians, recognising these modes as important components of sustainable and inclusive urban mobility.

These demands form part of ACE’s broader agenda to promote green, smart, safe, and affordable transport solutions throughout Europe, aiming for a competitive automotive industry while addressing changing mobility needs.

In rural areas where public transport is often insufficiently developed, ACE calls for a "revolution in offerings". ACE also advocates for campaigns, prevention, stricter controls, and harsher penalties to achieve the political goal of "Vision Zero" and reduce traffic fatalities to zero.

However, ACE finds no real breakthrough in traffic policy and criticises the lack of progress in certain areas, such as electromobility, cycling and pedestrian traffic, and infrastructure. ACE sees significant deficits in the area of electromobility, particularly inadequate support for people with low incomes. ACE demands targeted promotions such as socially graduated purchase premiums or leasing models to make electromobility accessible to all.

In the area of cycling and pedestrian traffic, ACE criticises the lack of progress, with a national pedestrian traffic plan still pending. ACE calls for concrete measures to make driver training affordable and future-proof, including a revised training regulation, digital learning offers, and measures to address the shortage of driving instructors.

Regarding the Germany ticket, ACE's focus is on its future beyond 2026 and reliable financing. ACE is surprised by the early rejection of a general speed limit by Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder, and notes the poor condition of many bridges as a "massive infrastructure project".

Sven-Peter Rudolph, chairman of the ACE, states that individual steps are going in the right direction, but a real traffic turnaround requires a clear strategy, courage to make decisions, and the political will to shape mobility sustainably, safely, and affordably for all.

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