Danish municipalities are still not allowed to decide how fast drivers can or cannot drive. That is still the job of the police, says the Minister of Transport.
As Boosted reported on Friday this week, Odense Municipality is indefinitely suspending the plan to reduce the speed limit to 30 km/h in the city.
In some places, down to 20. That, says the climate and environment councillor, will not happen because a bill from the government has also been postponed.
The bill, submitted by the Liberal Party's Minister of Transport Thomas Danielsen, broadly simplifies the Traffic Act.
The government proposes that there should be a number of clear rules for when a speed limit can be reduced.
But now the Minister of Transport is postponing the proposal. However, this does not mean that Danish local councils can do as they please in their hunt for drivers.
Speed limits are still the police's responsibility – municipalities must not interfere.
– I have received many suggestions, inputs and ideas on how the law could be structured.
– Due to the great interest, we are postponing the presentation, as major changes will require a new hearing. I cannot say anything about how it will end yet, says Thomas Danielsen.
Municipalities will therefore continue to have to obtain police consent whenever they intend to change the speed limit, or introduce one-way traffic, road closures and other traffic restrictions, according to a press release.
However, it is not only in Odense that parts of the hunting plan that has been put in place for motorists are being put on hold. Or at least partially on hold.
This is also happening in Aarhus. Back in April last year, Councillor for Technology and Environment in Aarhus Municipality, Nicolaj Bang (K), said that the bans on car traffic that the municipal council itself had introduced could not be tolerated.
Conversely, the goal is still to force 66 percent of car traffic out of Aarhus. A majority of the municipal council believes that this should be achieved by the city being the first ever in Denmark to introduce road pricing.
This means that it must cost money to drive on roads in the municipality. Money that drivers must find in the budget in addition to the money already paid in road tax/green ownership tax.
