Thousands Protest Traffic and Pollution on Brenner Route, Blocking Motorway for Hours

Several thousand protesters gathered on the road at Matrei am Brenner on Saturday to demand action against noise, pollution and traffic on the Brenner route. m. m.

Local time. The L38 and B182 were restricted to drivers who could prove they had a booked destination along the route. A strict exit ban applied on the A8 and A93 motorways in the districts of Rosenheim and Berchtesgadener Land, allowing motorists to leave only with a valid destination in the area.

Germany’s Federal Foreign Office warned motorists against driving over the Brenner. The Upper Bavaria South police headquarters prepared for the largest traffic operation in its history. Police spokesman Stefan Sonntag said before the event, “We expect to be hit by everything heading south.

Austria’s motoring club OeAMTC warned of the possibility of “extensive traffic jams” and advised drivers to avoid travelling through Tyrol that day. The Brenner Pass links northern and southern Europe and provides vital trans-Alpine access into Italy. Communities in Austria’s western Tyrol province have long complained about traffic on the route, especially trucks.

According to the Austrian motorway operator ASFINAG, traffic has increased steadily for years, with lorry numbers more than doubling since 2000. 5 million vans and lorries used the route. ” He added that the situation is “no longer manageable for the population, no longer bearable” due to pollution, noise and traffic jams.

Bavaria’s transport minister Christian Bernreiter has called for a flexible toll system where freight charges rise during peak traffic hours and fall during quieter periods. He also backed the proposed “Brenner north access route” from Munich to Innsbruck, an underground rail line. The project has progressed sluggishly for years as the German Bundestag has yet to decide on the exact route.