Odense was supposed to have kicked cars out of large parts of the city. But now the so-called 'mobility plan' has been put on hold. This is disappointing for the city council.
It is the uncertainty about a new bill from the government that is now causing the municipality of Odense to plan to kick drivers out of the city and force the speed limit to a crawl.
Plans for the transformation of the Skibhuskvarteret district in Odense have been put on hold. The reason is a new bill from Transport Minister Thomas Danielsen (V). The plan will therefore be postponed until 2026 at the earliest, confirms Climate and Environment Councillor Tim Vermund (S).
This is reported by TV2 Fyn .
Late last year, the Minister of Transport submitted a bill on traffic regulations for consideration. The proposal could limit municipalities' ability to manage and limit traffic on the roads themselves.
This includes the right to introduce speed reductions. Municipalities may also lose the right to decide on one-way traffic or the closure of major roads.
Odense Municipality fears that the bill could hinder important parts of the project in the Skibhuskvarteret district. This applies in particular to the planned 30 kilometer per hour zones.
A key concern is the risk that the law could be retroactive. If that happens, the municipality could be forced to remove already implemented changes at its own expense. The economic uncertainty is too great.
Consequences for the 'green mobility plan '
Climate and Environment Councillor Tim Vermund therefore confirms that the project must be postponed. The work should have started within a few weeks. Signs that informed about the upcoming work must now be taken down again.
– I'm sorry, says Tim Vermund to TV 2 Fyn.
The councilman had hoped that he could cycle around the city. But now he is not allowed to throw out the cars.
The councilor emphasizes that the will and the money are present in the municipality. He points out that it is an external proposal that is now preventing the project from being realized as planned.
Despite his annoyance, the councilor sees a small bright spot. The bill has not yet been passed, and the decision on it has been postponed.
Conversely, forcing drivers to drive 30 km/h will not do any good either. At least not yet.
Government bill could make 30-zones impossible
According to the municipality, the minister's proposal will make it impossible to introduce several planned measures. Specifically, the ban on 30 kilometer per hour zones on roads with through traffic is mentioned.
This means that the transformation of the Skibhuskvarteret can now be expected to start in 2026 at the earliest. The final timetable depends entirely on the content and adoption of the upcoming bill. The future of several green traffic initiatives in Odense is therefore uncertain.
Remember that you can always stay updated on the latest traffic news here at Boosted.dk. It's not just in Odense that enforcement against drivers must now be scrapped. Read more about it here .
