The names have changed, the party book has always remained the same: CSU politicians have been running the Federal Ministry of Transport since 2009.

But the probability that this will change after the general election on September 26th is high.

On the one hand, it is unclear whether the Union will even be represented in the next federal government.

On the other hand, the car toll debacle for which CSU Minister Andreas Scheuer is responsible is not a letter of recommendation for a further term in office.

Johannes Pennekamp

Responsible editor for economic reporting, responsible for “Die Lounge”.

  • Follow I follow

Regardless of this, there is also the fact that in hardly any other policy area a major change of direction is necessary if Germany wants to achieve its climate goals: While greenhouse gas emissions have fallen almost across the board in this country, cars in the pre-Corona year 2019 emitted around 5 percent more CO than in 1995 , calculates the Federal Environment Agency.

In the case of trucks, it was around 20 percent more.

The vehicles themselves have become more efficient, but the streets are always full and the engines are getting stronger.

Because changes seem inevitable, it is worth taking a closer look at what the parties are up to in transport policy.

Drive

Drivers are already feeling the rising gasoline prices - also because of the CO2 tax introduced by the grand coalition - in their wallets. Because this is likely to continue, CSU boss Markus Söder has declared an increase in the commuter allowance by one cent per kilometer as a condition for a coalition agreement. Transport Minister Scheuer, who is still in office, has recently even been promoting a gasoline price brake: As soon as the price per liter exceeds the mark of 2 euros, politicians have to intervene. The Green Chancellor candidate Annalena Baerbock, however, announced that the price of gasoline would have to rise by at least 16 cents per liter due to the inevitably rising CO2 tax. In return, the party wants to compensate for the higher costs for households with “energy money”. The Greens agree with the SPD,that at least 15 million electric cars should be on the road by 2030, the Greens also insist on a ban on new cars with internal combustion engines from that year. Union and FDP are very different. Both want to include traffic in the European emissions trading scheme and not commit to a future technology in advance. Even cars that burn synthetic fuel could therefore still be on German roads in twenty years.could therefore still be on German roads in twenty years.could therefore still be on German roads in twenty years.

Speed ​​limit

Here, too, the citizens have a clear choice: the Union and AfD are against a general speed limit on motorways, Social Democrats and Greens want to set a maximum speed of 130 kilometers per hour.

Even that is still too fast for the left - the party does not want to allow any new highways and does not want to allow more than 120 kilometers per hour on the existing ones.

Like the Greens, they are campaigning for 30 kilometers per hour to become the rule in localities.

To fly

Similar to cars, ideas differ widely.

The FDP wants to "abolish the air traffic tax, reorganize the aviation security fees and prevent an expansion of night flight bans".

The Union wants to better network air and rail connections and help ensure that flying becomes climate-neutral thanks to new fuels and remains a "competitively priced mode of transport".

The left, on the other hand, are campaigning for a ban on flights of less than 500 kilometers.

The Greens don't go that far - but they want to make such flights superfluous through more attractive rail connections.

The SPD's election manifesto also states: "Rail travel within Europe should be cheaper and more attractive than flying."

Local transport

Here, too, there are differences, but they are nowhere near as big as in the case of cars. The major parties largely agree that more people need to travel by bus, train and bike if the climate targets are to be achieved and urban traffic to be relieved. "Even the FDP and the Greens are pursuing similar goals in this regard. Fortunately, the days of ideological discussions are over," says Oliver Wolff, General Manager of the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV). Since public transport is a matter for the federal states and local authorities decide on their transport concepts, the influence of the future federal government is limited. However, it has recently grown because the federal government has increasingly contributed to the financing due to the lack of passengers during the pandemic.VDV representative Wolff considers this to be justified because the federal government defines the requirements for climate protection, which drive up costs locally and make investments necessary. The core demands of the most important parties are similar: the Union, the Greens and the SPD promise people all over the country basic services with buses and trains as well as more cycle paths. The Greens want to subsidize cargo bikes with 1000 euros per purchase, the Left that people can use public transport for free. The FDP resigns itself with the demand to further liberalize the market for taxis, rental cars and long-distance buses.The Greens and the SPD promise people all over the country basic services by bus and train as well as more bike paths. The Greens want to subsidize cargo bikes with 1000 euros per purchase, the Left that people can use public transport for free. The FDP resigns itself with the demand to further liberalize the market for taxis, rental cars and long-distance buses.The Greens and the SPD promise people all over the country basic services by bus and train as well as more bike paths. The Greens want to subsidize cargo bikes with 1000 euros per purchase, the Left that people can use public transport for free. The FDP resigns itself with the demand to further liberalize the market for taxis, rental cars and long-distance buses.

Go by train

Similar to public transport, Deutsche Bahn is still struggling with the lower number of customers since the outbreak of the corona pandemic, now the GDL strike is making the situation more difficult.

So that more people will soon be able to opt for regional and long-distance trains again, the Union and the SPD want to create a “Deutschlandtakt”, ie nationally coordinated timetables that give people at junctions the security that they can get on at short intervals.

The Greens want to massively increase investments in the rail network and divide up the network and operations of Deutsche Bahn.

The FDP also sympathizes with this idea, and would also like to privatize rail operations and expand competition on the railways.