Warnings about driving bans are “a sign of poverty”

The environmental protection organization Greenpeace has sharply criticized Transport Minister Volker Wissing for his warning about weekend driving bans. “The transport minister is trying, shamelessly and transparently, to convert the possible consequences of his own failure into political pressure,” said Greenpeace mobility expert Clara Thompson to the German Press Agency.

“Wissing wasted two years blocking every climate protection measure in road traffic – now he’s painting horror scenarios on the wall so that he doesn’t have to do anything in the future,” said Thompson. This is a “political indictment” and endangers the climate balance of the entire country.

The FDP politician Wissing had warned of drastic cuts for drivers if the traffic light coalition did not agree on a reform of the climate protection law soon – up to and including driving bans on weekends. According to Wissing’s argument, in order to achieve so-called climate sector goals in transport under the current law, a significant reduction in the mileage of cars and trucks would be necessary. This would “only be possible through restrictive measures that are difficult to communicate to the population, such as nationwide and indefinite driving bans on Saturdays and Sundays,” he wrote in a letter to the traffic light faction leaders in the Bundestag.

Thompson demanded that “the course must now be set towards a mobility transition so that the climate deficit in transport does not become ever greater” – with a clear focus on the expansion of rail and public transport.

During the negotiations between the traffic light factions on the climate protection law, it is said that it is controversial which responsibilities departments will have in the future if CO2 savings targets are missed – as in the transport sector.

(dpa)