In February, a decision will be made on whether Berlin will become a car-free city.
Three friends came up with the idea of a car-free Berlin in 2019. They founded the group Volksentscheid Berlin Autofrei and started promoting the idea of limiting cars within the city.
A petition was soon launched, which gathered more than 50,000 signatures last year. The idea is now being considered by the Berlin Senate, and a decision will be made soon. If the proposal is approved, Berlin will be "cleansed" almost completely of cars.
Emergency services, utility companies, as well as taxis and delivery vehicles will be allowed to move. Also, through car sharing programs, residents can occasionally use cars.
According to the latest report of 2014, about 58 percent of the traffic space in the city is reserved for cars.
On the other hand, only 3% of the space is dedicated to bicycles, which account for 15% of traffic in Berlin.
"It's about our immediate environment as much as the environment as a whole," co-founder Nina Noble told the Guardian.
"We all want to live, breathe and play together. We want people to be able to sleep with their windows open and children to play in the streets again. Grandparents should be able to ride their bikes safely and have plenty of benches to play and rest," Noble said. /Telegraph/
