Cyclists protest for safer Berlin roads and infrastructure

euronews (in English)

Berlin’s local government is facing lawsuits and criticism that its policies are endangering cyclists amid nationwide protests urging more space for those riding bikes.

Transcript

00:00This intersection in central Berlin is a typically busy spot for people heading to one of the

00:08city's trendy neighborhoods. It's also where a 26-year-old cyclist was hit by a truck last

00:15month and later died. Activists say people on their bicycles are being killed because

00:21there isn't enough space given to them.

00:24People who cycle in Berlin are often facing life and death situations and are often scared

00:31for their lives when cycling and the government currently fails to protect cyclists.

00:36We are done.

00:39Five people are suing Berlin's government for not providing protected space for cyclists.

00:44Protesters demonstrated last week against Berlin's local government, putting on hold

00:50the majority of planned cycling superhighways.

00:52The city's local government told Euronews that it's not cancelling plans for the superhighways

00:57but delaying them because they need more time to plan them out. They said that these routes

01:01take time because they're such long distances, they're complicated and may not be safe for

01:06cyclists to use. Plus, they need to fit into the city's budget.

01:12Last year, 446 cyclists were killed in Germany, according to a cycling NGO. Experts say part

01:20of the problem is the national government decides important road rules that restrain

01:24cities from implementing strategies that make sense for them. A transportation expert says

01:30it's a crucial factor, putting Germany behind other European countries.

01:35It holds back even cities that would like to go further than others and maybe by going

01:42further they could show that these things can work, they're not a big deal and set the

01:48example for others.

01:49Some want to see Germany follow the example of Paris' Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who has been

01:54introducing infrastructure and spending millions to increase space for cyclists. A member of

02:01Berlin's local government says she wants her city to find inspiration in the mayor's work.

02:07That we have more space for greener outskirts, for pedestrians, for cyclists and in that

02:14way she changed the city to something positive. So I think Berlin can go the same way.

02:20Activists say more lanes wouldn't just help cyclists, but drivers too.

02:25The streets would get emptier because more people would be able to choose the bike. It

02:30is also for car drivers very stressful to share road space with cyclists.

02:35More demonstrations are planned across Germany to protest for more safety for children's

02:41cyclists.

02:44For more UN videos visit www.un.org

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