Parking stickers rejected in Vienna-Hietzing

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Politics

The parking sticker was rejected in a poll of residents in Vienna-Hietzing. Around a quarter of residents oppose an introduction of a parking sticker. 59% of 41,000 persons who are entitled to vote took part in the poll. 18,618 people voted against and 5,113 people voted in favour of the parking sticker. 41,000 questionnaires were […]

Bus driver gets unwanted scaffolding coat

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General News

A bus ended up with a scaffolding overcoat after dozy builders made it too low to support crumbling architecture at the front of a hotel in the city of Innsbruck. The scaffolding had been put up when large chunks of the Hotel Ibis at the local train station threatened to break off and fall onto […]

Knoflacher emphasises pedestrian zones’ economic effects

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General News

A renowned traffic planner has stressed that shop owners are generally appreciating the introduction of pedestrian zones. Hermann Knoflacher, who masterminded the reconstruction of the busy Kärntner Straße and other streets in the heart of Vienna into an area for pedestrians in the 1960s – told magazine profil: “The debate prior to the creation of […]

Vienna road toll on the agenda again

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Politics

The Vienna Greens are risking a coalition-internal conflict by calling for a city toll. Rüdiger Maresch, the leftist party’s traffic spokesman, said such a fee “is unavoidable on the long term”. Maresch underlined the city government’s ambition to slash fine dust levels, the volume of toxic emissions by cars and noise caused by traffic in […]

Hungary limits boat traffic on the River Danube

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General News

By John Leo Moberg Hungary’s new law limiting the number of cargo barges allowed on the Danube has been in effect since the end of April to the annoyance of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce. The limit on cargo barges on the River Danube in Hungary has been in effect since the end of April […]

Chancellor could be charged with embezzlement

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Politics

Social Democratic (SPÖ) Chancellor Werner Faymann is still facing abuse of office charges, it emerged yesterday (Thurs). The Chief Prosecution of Vienna (OStA) announced it advised prosecutors to keep examining whether Faymann applied pressure on state-funded railroad company Federal Railways (ÖBB) over a series of ads in Austria’s most popular newspaper. There have been contradictory […]

Widespread scepticism about Greens’ new cycling project

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Politics

A heated debate has erupted following a radical traffic reform idea by the Viennese Greens. The party said on Wednesday cyclists should be allowed to cross junctions or turn right at red light in some cases. Special traffic lights could be established to introduce the model used in other European cities, the Greens said. Christoph […]

Vienna keeps cycling focus

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General News

Vienna’s cycling network is set to become bigger. Greens Vice Mayor Maria Vassilakou said yesterday (Weds) the city’s government coalition of Social Democrats (SPÖ) and her party agreed about expanding several already existing cycling paths. She said the 24 individual projects would be carried out throughout this year and extend cycling strips by 20 kilometres […]

Soaring petrol prices hardly affect Austrians’ love for cars

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Business

Traffic researchers and motorists’ associations are at odds over how to react to rising fuel prices. Investigations by car club Arbö show that the average price for one litre of diesel fuel reached a four-year record last Monday at 1.397 Euros. The price for petrol shot up too, according to the association. Arbö and ÖAMTC, […]

Vienna Greens want cars banned over fine dust

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Politics

Cars lacking eco-friendly engine systems should be kept out from Vienna form 2013, a Green Party official has suggested. Rüdiger Maresch said today (Fri) owners of cars with excessive carbon emissions could be blocked from entering the federal capital in less than two years by creating a new motorised traffic rules system. The Vienna Greens […]