The decision has been made. On 1. November of this year, the Wiesbaden may decide whether the controversial City car will be built or not. After a more than four-hour-long and sometimes violent debate 66 city agreed ordered on Thursday evening for a referendum and set, also, with the necessary two-thirds majority on the magistrate’s proposed question. This is: “is To be developed, the traffic in Wiesbaden, Germany for the avoidance of congestion and other traffic restrictions for car traffic by an efficient tram (city train) from Mainz, coming in from the Wiesbaden city centre to Bad Schwalbach further, in order to reduce traffic growth to catch and impacts on the environment (air pollution, noise pollution)?” Against this question, only the city voted prescribed for the FDP, and two members of the Free voters. Greater Unity prevailed at the time: Against the 1. November, voted in favor of only the Green.
at the beginning of the debate in the Heritage station, the house of a citizen had reported to the Lord mayor Gert-Uwe Mende (SPD) and the city railway as a project of the century referred to, the mobility change in the city in a sustainable way. Mende made no secret of the fact that he is in favour of the construction of the railway. “The city rail is not a panacea, but the core and backbone of a modern and future-oriented transport policy”, he noted and added: “The City is renowned for its capacity, comfort, reliability, accessibility, emissions reduction and sustainability.” For him, the railway is also a question of social cohesion in the city, because there were many people who were dependent on a functioning transport system. Since the tram Mainz, Wiesbaden and the Rheingau-Taunus-connect circuit to each other, curing the Region. A point of contention in the debate was, however, the magistrate submitted a question, which described the Mende as a viable compromise that would classify the project in a larger context. It was customary, also objectives, such as congestion avoidance, in the question of how to incorporate it.
Manipulation at the ballot box?
Mendes hope that this would defuse the debate, should not meet. In particular, the FDP and the AfD practiced vehement criticism. “The question of the magistrate is a suggestive template”, criticised the FDP-group Chairman, Christian Diers, and added that the submission, in his view, was unlawful. He referred to the short report of the Board of lawyers Wilhelm Achelpöhler. The question attempts to manipulate the voters at the ballot box. Diers announced legal steps should get the magistrate template with the necessary majority. He sharply attacked, also head of the Traffic Department, Andreas Kowol (The Green), the responsibility for the award of contracts. “It was hushed up and lied. High amounts for services that were never provided,“ said Diers. He referred to allegations in the award of contracts to the city railway communication. After learning of the allegations, Mende had turned immediately to the urban audit office.
the CDU objected to, the question of the magistrate, and had therefore submitted a request with a question. “Are you in favour of a rail-bound tram (city train) with the route from Mainz is coming to be realized over the Wiesbaden city centre to Bad Schwalbach?”, the CDU’s draft, however, found no majority was. Group boss Bernd Wittkowski argued for a neutral question that allows for a decision without interference. “We have in Wiesbaden, responsible citizens,” he said.
“Yes, we go to the Venture a”
In the further course of the meeting the issues of the Free voters, the FDP and the AfD found no majority. SPD parliamentary leader Hendrik Schmehl said that the social Democrats can also live with a simpler question would, he thought, however, it is acceptable if the construction of the city rail related goals were to be taken up in the question. “Yes, we take the risk that citizens reject the city railway,” explained Schmehl the possible consequences of the decision. Christian Bachmann, the Deputy leader of the Free voters/citizens list, called on the cooperation of parties of the CDU, the SPD and the Greens, to end the “tactical and political games”. It was time to let the citizens decide who must bear the consequences.
Kowol and also the Green group Chairman Christiane Hinninger defended the question. These attempts, the complexity of the decision map. A superficial question, such as “city rail – Yes or no,” suggesting that it must change in the traffic and lead the people astray, argued Hinninger.
