The road traffic law is being amended.

The German Bundestag has amended the Road Traffic Act, thereby creating the basis for the digitalization of driver's licenses and digital parking enforcement. The German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH) welcomes the fact that the interests of craft businesses will now be better considered regarding parking permits.

The german Bundestag has passed the reform of the road traffic law. The relevant body is the... Federal government The proposed bill was adopted in an amended version. The amended law aims to establish the legal framework for the digitization of driver's licenses and vehicle registration documents, as well as for digital parking enforcement. Furthermore, data exchange within the administration will be conducted digitally in the future. The simplification of processes and regulations is intended to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy.

The plan is to expand the existing partial legal basis in the Road Traffic Act for a temporary digital vehicle registration certificate into a general regulation. The legal framework for introducing the digital driver's license "as a supplementary electronic document to the card-format driver's license" is also to be established. An amendment proposed by the Transport Committee concerns resident parking permits: these should not only be issued to residents and local businesses, but also to groups of people with parking needs that extend beyond the district, such as tradespeople or home care services.

"The parking space needs of the trades are recognized"

The expansion of the regulatory authority for resident parking zones is an important step forward, says Holger Schwannecke. "The parking needs of local tradespeople are now explicitly recognized in the legal framework for the first time. The clarification of the regulation through the recommendation of the Transport Committee, which for the first time also takes into account groups with parking needs across district boundaries, also meaningfully expands the existing framework from the perspective of the trades," says the Secretary General of the Central Association of German Crafts. 

This will make it possible in the future to include non-resident tradespeople who serve customers in resident parking zones in the parking permit system. "Previously, this was only possible in a few cities via the tradesperson parking permit. Tradespeople rely on parking spaces in close proximity to their customers for their work. However, both local and out-of-town businesses are increasingly reaching their limits here, as growing private car traffic and the expansion of cycling and public transport are further exacerbating the situation in towns and cities."

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ZDH demands legal certainty

Now it is crucial to swiftly and practically implement the new legal options in the road traffic regulations and ensure comprehensive legal certainty. Schwannecke proposes the introduction of a separate traffic sign or supplementary sign for trade and delivery traffic. "On this basis, cities and municipalities can develop modern and balanced traffic concepts that safeguard business mobility and strengthen the trades as an indispensable component of livable neighborhoods and the mobility transition."

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