Driving bans tightened – Brenner: Mattle appeals to passing tourists

There are now many extremely traffic-intensive days on the Brenner highway: “There are 100 million people living north of Tyrol who like to drive south. But Tyrol cannot and does not want to build wider roads. That is why we are the only region that has introduced mass departure bans. Cars that want to go to Lake Garda, for example, are generally not allowed to leave the highway and simply drive through the villages,” LH Mattle refers to the measures that have already been taken.

Police officers and inspectors insulted
Tyrol has been defending itself against excessive traffic for years. However, operation has now become anything but simple. “Inspectors and law enforcement officers report being insulted by nervous motorists,” reports LH Mattle, who is therefore calling on motorists to stay on main roads and highways.

Navigation devices also show hidden routes
“In addition to the crowds, the biggest problem is the navigation devices and smartphone apps, which immediately redirect to another route in the event of a delay. We therefore urgently need a federal law that requires navigation system operators to import temporary driving bans into their systems. Potential alternative routes such as the B 182 or the L 38 could then literally disappear from the map for those unfamiliar with the area,” explains traffic LR Rene Zumtobel (SPÖ).

Already in effect this weekend
At a joint meeting with the police and Asfinag, further measures were decided to minimize the risk of a traffic jam: these include adjustments to the truck measurement calendar for construction work on the Lueg Bridge, an extension of the ban on car departures with an increase in control personnel , extra traffic guards on construction sites and a measuring light towards the north.