Road congestion: Motorists experience heavy traffic during peak hours. - Senator Bonde opposes traffic calming measures on Ku'damm and Tauentzien streets.
In the aftermath of a tragic double fatal car accident on the busy streets of Berlin's Ku'damm, new traffic senator Ute Bonde has dismissed the possibility of implementing any kind of safety measures or traffic calming in the area. She firmly believes that restructuring these essential traffic arteries of Tauentzienstraße and Kurfürstendamm would only cause further chaos and danger.
These roads are crucial for the movement of buses, deliveries, heavy goods and emergency vehicles like ambulances and fire trucks in Berlin's public transportation network, says the CDU politician. Altering their current state would interrupt these important services, leading to disastrous consequences.
In a heartbreaking incident early Wednesday morning, on the Tauentzienstraße, two young men, aged 18 and 27, perished in a high-speed crash involving a luxury sports car, which careened out of control, slammed against a concrete barrier, and burst into flames.
Bonde is convinced that the crash was deliberately instigated. "Wednesday's accident was blatant intent," she said in a meeting of the Parliament's Mobility and Transportation Committee. "That car was deliberately used as a weapon against people."
She claimed that while the area is not renowned for frequenting accidents, risky driving remains an issue. The solution, Bonde believes, is not traffic calming in the form of road changes, but rather the enforcement of traffic laws and penalties. This includes patrols to keep the peace, and the seizure of vehicles along with the revocation of licenses for reckless drivers.
Meanwhile, Green politician Antje Kapek, speaking at the same meeting, has lent her support to traffic calming measures for the west Berlin region. She recommended removing Breitscheidplatz and Tauentzienstraße from the main network, transforming the area into a pedestrian zone. Although not included in a typical list of accident hotspots, these streets are notorious locations for irresponsible drivers. "This is a reckless driving hotspot."
