With looming fuel shortages, a heated debate has erupted over government intervention in road traffic.
Sebastian Steineke, the consumer‑protection officer of the Union’s parliamentary group (CDU), warned strongly against “panic‑making and rash actions”. He said that for the Union the idea of car‑free days or speed limits is not currently under consideration. Instead, he pointed to the Fuel Price Adjustment Act, which aims to promote fair competition at petrol stations so that consumers are not unduly burdened.
Greenpeace mobility expert Benjamin Stephan sharply criticized that stance. “The Union’s stubborn rejection of a speed limit has long been hard to understand, and given the geopolitical situation it is now reckless” he told the “Handelsblatt”. He added that a maximum speed limit could be introduced tomorrow, would save billions of litres of petrol, and would ease the rising fuel bills for people.
The Greens expressed support for a speed limit. “A speed limit is sensible even independent of the current crisis” said Till Steffen, the consumer‑policy spokesperson of the Greens’ parliamentary group, to the “Handelsblatt”. However, he rejected the possibility of returning to car‑free Sundays, arguing that such driving bans were “symbolic politics” during the 1973 oil crisis and had little practical effect.
