Berlin’s local government is facing lawsuits and criticism that its policies are endangering cyclists amid nationwide protests urging more space for those riding bikes.
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00:00This intersection in central Berlin is a typically busy spot for people heading to one of the
00:08city's trendy neighborhoods. It's also where a 26-year-old cyclist was hit by a truck last
00:15month and later died. Activists say people on their bicycles are being killed because
00:21there isn't enough space given to them.
00:24People who cycle in Berlin are often facing life and death situations and are often scared
00:31for their lives when cycling and the government currently fails to protect cyclists.
00:36We are done.
00:39Five people are suing Berlin's government for not providing protected space for cyclists.
00:44Protesters demonstrated last week against Berlin's local government, putting on hold
00:50the majority of planned cycling superhighways.
00:52The city's local government told Euronews that it's not cancelling plans for the superhighways
00:57but delaying them because they need more time to plan them out. They said that these routes
01:01take time because they're such long distances, they're complicated and may not be safe for
01:06cyclists to use. Plus, they need to fit into the city's budget.
01:12Last year, 446 cyclists were killed in Germany, according to a cycling NGO. Experts say part
01:20of the problem is the national government decides important road rules that restrain
01:24cities from implementing strategies that make sense for them. A transportation expert says
01:30it's a crucial factor, putting Germany behind other European countries.
01:35It holds back even cities that would like to go further than others and maybe by going
01:42further they could show that these things can work, they're not a big deal and set the
01:48example for others.
01:49Some want to see Germany follow the example of Paris' Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who has been
01:54introducing infrastructure and spending millions to increase space for cyclists. A member of
02:01Berlin's local government says she wants her city to find inspiration in the mayor's work.
02:07That we have more space for greener outskirts, for pedestrians, for cyclists and in that
02:14way she changed the city to something positive. So I think Berlin can go the same way.
02:20Activists say more lanes wouldn't just help cyclists, but drivers too.
02:25The streets would get emptier because more people would be able to choose the bike. It
02:30is also for car drivers very stressful to share road space with cyclists.
02:35More demonstrations are planned across Germany to protest for more safety for children's
02:41cyclists.
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