Vehicle after vehicle pushes its way through Val Gardena – this image will soon be a thing of the past. The solution: closely timed electric buses for day visitors too.
Selva – Patience is required in Val Gardena. A lot of patience. Currently, in the summer weeks, even a little more than at other times of the year. Because the Dolomite valley in South Tyrol attracts tourists thanks to its location and nature. And with it Lots of carswhich then accumulate on the few roads that lead through and over the mountains.
Traffic jam madness in Italy: Dolomites residents and holidaymakers annoyed by conditions on roads in South Tyrol
How the oRf in one post reported that the journey between two villages can take an hour instead of ten minutes – six times as long. Neither the Italian holidaymakers nor the Dolomite locals in South Tyrol, who may have started the engine for a short journey – perhaps to go shopping or to the doctor – have that time. For all other road users, especially pedestrians and cyclists, the line of cars is a real nuisance. The only positive thing is that no one is easily surprised by a speed camera.
Video: New speed camera regulation in Italy – increase in speeders feared
South Tyroleans annoyed by traffic jams in Val Gardena: “We’ve been talking about a bypass road for almost 20 years”
But the unsatisfactory situation for all those involved in Italy is unlikely to change any time soon. A resident of Selva in South Tyrol says almost resignedly at the microphone: “People have been talking about a bypass road for almost 20 years, but nothing is being done.” While the man notices the traffic jams “almost all year round,” another from the town in the Dolomites says: “It’s two or three weeks in the summer and two or three weeks in the winter when it’s already become a problem.”
According to the broadcaster, the roads are mainly filled with day visitors and drivers passing through, who want to travel to the Val Badia or cross the Gardena Pass or the Sella Pass. On the other hand, the holidaymakers who are staying locally would use the bus anyway.
Electric buses to combat traffic jams in Italian town: 1000 people per hour to be transported in South Tyrol municipality
The public transport concept will also be used for day visitors. A large parking area is planned in Pontives at the entrance to the valley, where hopefully there will not be as heated as in any other parking lotIn the future, electric buses will depart from there every seven minutes. The hope is that 1,000 people per hour could be transported this way.
But this is all still a long way off. And that’s why patience is required. Because a number of questions need to be clarified first. “You also have to make sure that the buses can drive. If the buses are stuck in traffic, you obviously have a problem,” says Christoph Senoner, mayor of St. Christina. But he supports the bus idea.
There were already pilot projects last August and again in winter, each with two electric buses. The results are said to have been promising. Val Gardena is also promoting the use of local public transport on the internet. This would not only save costs but also CO2, save the need to look for a parking space and avoid stress at the wheel – especially in long traffic jams.
Car restrictions on South Tyrol passes in Italy? Government in Rome must agree to regulation
The mountain passes in South Tyrol, which also suffer from tourist traffic in Italy, are also to be relieved. Roland Demetz, mayor of Selva, is considering an upper limit on the number of vehicles that can cross.
However, the government in Rome is still lacking approval for this. Transport Minister Matteo Salvini from the right-wing populist Lega is apparently not keen on such a regulation.
The local politician remains optimistic: “We are not the only ones in South Tyrol. There are also several regions and provinces in Italy that actually have the same problem. I think that sooner or later something will come. But at the moment it doesn’t look like that.”
Traffic concept against traffic jams in Val Gardena: Costs likely to amount to up to 100 million euros
A local regulation would already be possible to enforce a quota for a pass. However, it can be assumed that many cars will then be driven over other passes and that they will be more crowded. This would only shift the problem and could even worsen.
The question of financing must also be clarified first. According to the article, costs of up to 100 million euros are estimated for the necessary parking garage, the electric buses and the bus station.
According to the current situation, the traffic concept could be implemented in two or three years. So patience is still needed – not only in the town halls, but above all on the streets in Val Gardena. (mg)
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