Safe way to school in Berlin: Parents fight for traffic protection!

Safe way to school in Berlin: Parents fight for traffic protection!

Pfalzburger Straße, 10719 Berlin, Deutschland - nag/nag editors -

In Berlin-Wilmersdorf, a temporary school road will be set up on Pfalzburger Straße from November 12th. This measure should offer children more security, but only for a short period of time from 7.30 a.m. to 8.15 a.m. Responsibility for the drawing up of traffic signs and Baken is not the district, but with the parents, which is strongly criticized by the Changing Cities Initiative. They emphasize that traffic safety should not only be guaranteed where parents become active, but is a fundamental task of the state.

In front of the Nelson Mandela School, traffic builds up every morning, which the parents have been unsustainable for years. The district has now reacted and found a minimally invasive solution: A short section of the street is closed to car traffic during the morning rush hour. In addition, two kiss-and-go zones are set up on the Hohenzollerndamm. But the parents have to set up the seven traffic signs every day - a task that they have to take over in the cold and in the rain to ensure the safety of their children. "Why does this topic don't care about the Berlin traffic authorities?" Asks Girina Holland from Changing Cities.

a step in the right direction

The introduction of this school road is a small but important step in the right direction. "With this five-month school road experiment, Berlin finally follows up. 24 school streets have already been set up in North Rhine-Westphalia this year, which shows that there is a huge need to catch up in the capital," continues Holland. The parents are willing to take responsibility, but the question remains why the city is not more proactive to ensure the safety of the children.

Temporary Schulstrasse will not only be important for the students of the Nelson Mandela School, but could also serve as a model for other schools in Berlin. The Changing Cities initiative is committed to ensuring that such measures are implemented not only sporadically, but across the board in order to create a safe school environment for all children. "In the long term, responsibility for the traffic safety of children may not be deported to committed citizens," emphasizes Holland.

The relevance of the school roads

The school roads are not only a means of calming traffic, but also a sign of a rethink in transport policy. The parents and the Changing Cities initiative demand that the safety of the children come into focus and that it is not just considered a temporary solution. "It is time for the city to take responsibility and find sustainable solutions," demands Holland. The discussion about school roads shows how important it is that the city administration becomes active and the safety of the students takes seriously instead of leaving them to the parents.

On Tuesday, November 12th, Schulstraße on Pfalzburger Strasse will open. The parents are excited to see whether this measure will actually lead to an improvement in the traffic situation or whether further steps are necessary to ensure the safety of their children. The Changing Cities initiative stays tuned and continues to call for a comprehensive turnaround in Berlin.