- Heidelberger City Council Discussion: Possible Cost Savings in Public Transport Scenario
Amidst the present financial predicament, Heidelberg's autonomous mayor, Eckart Würzner, is pondering over the present offerings in municipal transportation and events. "Heidelberg has turned into a significant event organizer. I believe we need to scale back here," he shared with the "Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung" (Saturday). He proposed the idea of scheduling some festivals every two years instead of annually. "I also perceive opportunities to cut costs in public transportation," he added.
Würzner brought up the point that Heidelberg's public transportation is pricier than Mannheim's due to factors like buses and trains frequently servicing the same locations. He underlined the importance of enhancing the network planning. "Let's have fewer buses and trains operating, but on time. We should be prepared for the possibility that we might not be able to preserve certain structures as desired," he suggested. He reiterated, "We're not aiming to reduce expenses, but rather to preserve and enhance the quality and continue investing in the growth of public transportation. That's crucial."
Speaking about the approaching austere budget, the mayor stated, "We're dealing with a situation we've never encountered before." Several Heidelberg businesses have relocated, while others have shifted productions abroad, inducing worries about the city's economic fate. The mayor highlighted that the steadily increasing trade tax has now drastically reduced. "We're likely to have around 30 to 40 million euros less at our disposal this year."
given the financial challenges, Mayor Würzner expressed the need to explore cost-saving opportunities in both transport and telecommunications. He suggested reevaluating the public transportation system, aiming to maintain quality while potentially reducing expenses, and explored the possibility of collaborating with telecommunications providers to optimize municipal services.
