Dresden local transport: Citizens' petition exceeds signature target!

Dresden local transport: Citizens' petition exceeds signature target!

Over 34,500 signatures for the preservation of local public transport in Dresden - that is the impressive result of the citizens' initiative "Preserve Dresden's local transport". This was handed over to Mayor Dirk Hilbert (FDP) on Monday, and the mood at the golden gate of the town hall was clearly positive. The initiators, the members of the Left in the city council, André Schollbach, Tilo Kießling and Jens Matthis, were pleased with the massive support of the Dresden population, because the necessary quorum of 21,500 signatures was exceeded by a whopping 12,000 signatures MDR reports.

The aim of the citizens' initiative is to permanently secure the Dresden transport company's services at the level of 2024. One suggestion is to close the annual financing gap of almost 20 million euros through profits from SachsenEnergie or a possible increase in trade tax. These financial challenges were clearly addressed by Dirk Hilbert, the mayor. He called for greater financial participation from the state and federal government in order not only to maintain the quality of local transport in the city, but also to improve it, according to DNN.

Significance of the citizens' initiative

The citizens' initiative is not only a sign of civic engagement, but can also have far-reaching consequences. If the city administration carries out an admissibility check, a referendum could follow within three months. Such a vote has power: over 100,000 votes would be required to make the referendum successful. This corresponds to a quarter of Dresden's population. In the best case, a referendum cannot be changed for three years, unless a new referendum brings a different decision, as the [citizen society](https://www.buergergesellschaft.de/mitentscheiden/buerger Beteiligung-in-stadt-land/buerger Beteiligung-in-der-kommune/buergerbegehren-und-buergerentscheid/) explains.

There is a tradition of referendums in Dresden; A well-known example is the decision on the Waldschlösschen Bridge. The initiators of the current request are hoping for broad solidarity among citizens through numerous supporters, including the Dresden Greens. They had already contributed around 5,000 signatures. “Many initiatives and organizations support us,” says André Schollbach.

The way forward

Now the ball is in the city administration’s court. The admissibility check must take place within three months before the city council is not allowed to make any decisions that contradict the request. The citizens' initiative could ultimately have a decisive influence on the future design of local public transport in Dresden. It remains exciting to see how the process develops and whether citizens can assert their desire for stable local transport in the long term.