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Chemnitz cancels winter service: citizens have to clear the area themselves!
Chemnitz is significantly reducing winter service: side streets remain uncleared, city council will decide on austerity package next week.
Chemnitz cancels winter service: citizens have to clear the area themselves!
There are now significant changes in winter service in Cologne. The city has introduced radical austerity measures that will not only affect everyday life, but also affect snow removal. Loud radiochemnitz.de Winter service will be drastically restricted in the future. This will limit you to only the bare essentials, which means that side streets will no longer be cleared in the future.
An important aspect of these cost-cutting measures concerns the creation of snow guard fences, which will be phased out entirely. This could lead to increased snow drifts, making the situation even more difficult for pedestrians and drivers. The grit containers on the streets, which played an important role in the past, are also no longer financed. Particularly critical: There will no longer be on-call service for winter service on weekends, which in the past often provided additional security.
Changed responsibilities
In Germany there is a clear regulation as to who is responsible for removing snow on public roads. This particularly affects those living next to the streets. Loud berlin.de It is the responsibility of the owners to clear the sidewalks of public streets and scatter ice. This includes measures such as clearing snow and removing ice formations, with the minimum clearance widths depending on pedestrian volume. In most cases at least one meter must be cleared.
Special regulations apply to streets without sidewalks: clearing must be carried out on the preferred walking surface. Residents must also keep access to necessary facilities such as fire hydrants and emergency call stations, which entails some additional responsibility for citizens.
A new challenge for everyone
The effects of the restrictions on winter service will be noticeable for many Cologne residents. Drivers must be prepared for the fact that clearing vehicles are less likely to be on the main roads and that dangerous icy conditions can arise on the side streets. According to strassenbau.niedersachsen.de The clearing vehicles are equipped with yellow rotating lights, which means they are also clearly visible in traffic. This is particularly important as overtaking clearing vehicles should be avoided for safety reasons.
The city of Cologne is therefore in a transition phase in which the city council will vote on the austerity measures next week. It remains to be seen how citizens react to these cuts and what this means for safety in winter.