The ecological movement 'Berlin without cars' aims for a referendum in 2026 for a drastic reduction of car traffic in central Berlin, after the constitutional validation of the project.

The ecological movement 'Berlin without cars' proposes a referendum in 2026, if it gathers 180,000 signatures, to drastically reduce car traffic in central Berlin. The project, declared constitutional in June, stipulates that each resident should have the right to use their personal vehicle only 12 days a year within the S-Bahn-Ring, with exceptions for people with reduced mobility and emergency vehicles. The Berlin Constitutional Court has validated the initiative, recognizing that reducing car traffic has legitimate public health and climate protection objectives.

The Berlin House of Representatives has until November 25 to decide on the project, and the opposition, especially from the CDU, denounces the measure as bureaucratic and harmful to private prosperity. If the project is rejected, 'Berlin without cars' can request a public consultation to organize a referendum. The initiators emphasize that the future of Berlin must prioritize health and environmental protection, not car traffic.