- Reduction in urban vehicle count, potential for incentives upon removal.
Encouraging Car Deregistration in Frankfurt and Marburg:
Promotional schemes in Frankfurt and Marburg have been established, motivating residents to de-register their vehicles. Frankfurt has provided free public transportation for a year, commencing from early July, and has received over 100 applications for the environmental incentive, as per the mobility department.
Heiko Nickel, the head of strategic traffic planning, remarks, "This is a success. Our aim is to provide incentives. Seventy-five percent of cars in urban centers are stationary during the week and are not required for daily commute."
Frankfurt distributes the City Pass, a yearly ticket worth 588 euros, issued by the city. A vehicle registration extract from the Federal Motor Transport Authority is necessary for application. Initially, there were hold-ups due to high demand, but the procedure has now been simplified, and applications are rising. The trial period for continuing this action will commence from summer 2025. A total of 500,000 euros has been allocated for this.
Space constraints in the city center
The incentive is part of Frankfurt's Mobility Master Plan, a roadmap for future transportation policy. This encompasses 11 key measures, including stimulating cycling and pedestrian traffic, as well as buses and trains. Due to space limitations, Frankfurt's car traffic cannot sustain, states Nickel: "We need a shift in mobility to ensure the city functions."
As a result of planned high-rise expansions in the city, the use of more efficient transportation methods, such as public transportation, needs to be enhanced and expedited. A park-and-ride facility is being developed, and the car-sharing offer will be expanded.
The master plan will be presented to the city parliament after the summer break. Despite discussions, Nickel remains optimistic about its approval due to the substantial citizen involvement in its creation. However, resistance arises, primarily from the FDP, which is also governance in Frankfurt.
Expired pot in Marburg
Marburg introduced a more generous incentive program in mid-June, which promptly garnered the desired response: residents receive a bonus worth 1,250 euros for deregistering or scrapping their personal car for a year – similar to Frankfurt, regardless of whether it's the first, second, or third car. Within two months, the required 50 applicants were identified.
Some applicants freely disclosed their motivations, as a city spokesperson mentioned: older individuals contemplating scrapping their car and switching to bus and train, city center residents whose car is stationary more than it's driven, second cars that were deregistered.
The experiences will be assessed, and a decision will be reached by year-end on the next course of action, explained the city spokesperson. The bonus is intended to be a stepping stone towards making the city as carbon-neutral as possible by 2030. However, Marburg residents disapproved of one of the core objectives of the traffic strategy "MoVe 35" – to reduce car traffic in the city by half by 2035 – in a referendum.
In Kassel, a local Abmeldeprämie is not a focus topic. The city has not trialed this approach and is not considering it. A representative stated that the city concentrates on improving and expanding real offers for pedestrian and cycling traffic, as well as public transportation, to attain its traffic policy goals. The city is working on corresponding implementation concepts.
Project in Darmstadt concluded
Darmstadt offered a temporary award. Residents who sold or scrapped their car, as well as new residents, received a climate ticket. "This made it possible to try and utilize public transport in Darmstadt and the surrounding area for three months," the press office stated. The scheme ended in late January 2024 due to "budget consolidation needs."
The number of car registrations has also decreased: "While 3,820 new residents received a climate ticket from September 2022 to January 2024, merely 192 citizens did so due to car deregistration. Following the introduction of the Germany ticket in May 2023, the monthly application rate fell significantly to two to three," the city stated.
Now, new residents of Darmstadt receive a 50 Euro voucher for public transport. Darmstadt, which has established a climate protection plan, includes 50 measures, including pilot projects to decrease car traffic and promote pedestrian, cycling, and public transport.
The City of Darmstadt also implemented a car deregistration incentive, offering a climate ticket to residents who sold or scrapped their cars or were new residents, encouraging the use of public transportation. (Follows from the "Project in Darmstadt concluded" section)
The city of Darmstadt, like Frankfurt and Marburg, is seeking to reduce car traffic and promote sustainable transportation options, recognizing that the city of Darmstadt, similar to Frankfurt, faces space constraints within its city center. (Follows from the "Project in Darmstadt concluded" and the 'The city center' section)
