Berlin Court Allows Referendum on Citywide Car Ban, Drivers Limited to 12 Trips

Berlin's highest court has approved a referendum proposal that could largely ban private cars from the city centre, limiting drivers to just 12 trips annually within a 34-square-mile zone encircled by the S-Bahn commuter railway ring. Essential vehicles like emergency services, taxis, buses, delivery vans, and refuse trucks would be exempt, as would cars on federally managed highways. The court rejected the city government's argument that such restrictions violated constitutional rights, emphasizing that drivers do not have a specific constitutional right to use roads. The referendum can proceed if campaigners collect 170,000 signatures within three months, after which the measure would appear on next year's local election ballot, requiring at least half of voters' approval to pass. This effort is part of a broader trend in European cities toward reducing car traffic to combat congestion and pollution, with places like Amsterdam aiming to ban cars by 2030 and others pedestrianizing city centres. Berlin's conservative mayor opposes the restrictions, citing potential economic impacts and the need for mobility options, while advocates emphasize the goal of improving urban environmental quality and mobility diversity.