Bicycles were repeatedly observed blocking the parking spaces for people with disabilities. The city council group Free Voters and FOR Karlsruhe has a request to the city administration to learn what measures are taken by the Office of Public Order to ensure that disabled parking spaces remain freely accessible and are not blocked by bicycles or other vehicles.
The city administration sees the problem similarly. In principle, all traffic participants must comply with the road traffic regulations. In the case of bicycles, however, the problem arises that they are not subject to a license plate requirement and the person responsible cannot usually be identified.
When obstructions of handicapped parking spaces or even on sidewalks and bike paths by bicycles are reported, the only option is to remove the obstruction by removing it on your own. The municipality cannot ensure active control due to lack of personnel. Only in particularly serious cases can the municipality intervene. The city administration’s response letter makes it clear that ultimately there are no effective means available to successfully address such grievances.
In the case of violations of traffic regulations and restrictions on parking spaces for the disabled, it is therefore above all the citizens’ own courage that is called for in order to give every citizen the opportunity to travel Karlsruhe without restriction.