For weeks, experts have been pushing for austerity measures in the energy crisis – one of the most important concerns a mandatory speed reduction on Austria’s roads. However, the Minister of Green Energy and Climate Protection, Leonore Gewessler, rejected the calls. There is still no supply shortage and therefore no basis for a legal measure, according to the minister.
“Driving slower is a contribution that everyone can make,” Gewessler said in the Ö1 “Mittagsjournal” on Friday. The proposal to introduce lower speed limits at least temporarily to save energy came from the Carinthian governor Peter Kaiser (SPÖ).
Clear savings potential
If you had to weigh the important industry and “a few km/h less”, he was definitely ahead of the speed limit, Kaiser made clear in the ORF “ZiB2” on Thursday. The mobility organization Verkehrsclub Österreich (VCÖ) also welcomed the move. According to a study by the Federal Environment Agency, a car traveling on the Autobahn at just 100 km/h instead of 130 would consume 23 percent less fuel.
Two-thirds majority required in National Council
“I’m not at all hesitant when it comes to saving energy,” Gewessler emphasized. However, the possibility of action in the energy regulation only exists in the case of an absolute emergency. “At the moment we are not in such a situation,” said the minister. A two-thirds majority in the Main Committee of the National Council is then required as a condition for a corresponding ordinance.
Gewessler also did not give a very clear answer to the question about shifting CO2 pricing. However, she referred to the turquoise-green government’s eco-social tax reform: “Of course it’s connected.”
Source: Krone
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