Traffic noise from commuter traffic and speeding in Enns 30 km/h zone

The resident of a housing estate in Enns, Upper Austria, complained to the Austrian Ombudsman Board, the division of Dr Walter Rosenkranz, because he and other residents had repeatedly demanded traffic-calming measures from their municipality in recent years, but they felt that nothing had been done. Despite alternatives, a large number of employees from a neighbouring industrial estate would drive through the residential area during shift changes in the mornings, afternoons and evenings, a high percentage of them at excessive speeds. This impression was also confirmed by people interviewed by ORF.

The mayor of Enns replied that measures had indeed been taken to calm the traffic: a 30 km/h zone had been introduced or extended; discussions had been held with the neighbouring businesses, who had been asked to influence their employees so that they would not drive through the housing estate; the police had repeatedly been asked to monitor the traffic; and traffic measurements and traffic counts had also been carried out. However, the complainant's criticism of the Ombudsman Board had not been confirmed and the average speed measured had also decreased. Between 2002 and 2023, the number of vehicles had also fallen from 898 to 702. It is not possible to remove the road, as access must also be maintained for emergency vehicles, such as the fire brigade, or for agriculture. As complaints could not be confirmed in expert reports, a traffic calming ordinance could not be enforced against the supervisory authorities, the district administration and the province.

Ombudsman Rosenkranz showed little understanding as to why, for example, there was no prohibition on driving through the estate in question except for residents. This is also common practice in other areas. According to Rosenkranz, the Ombudsman Board will continue to monitor the case and observe whether a critical traffic point in Enns is actually defused and the traffic bypassing the housing estate is thus relieved.

Enquiry: Night-time disturbance at the Wientalterrasse

In June 2023, "Bürgeranwalt" reported on nocturnal disturbances of the peace in the Wientalterrasse area. Residents had complained about loud music every night and, as they complained, had not been supported by politicians and the police. Ombudsman Walter Rosenkranz suggested discussing the case in the programme.

He called for the area to be closed off at night, as it was also inaccessible in winter. The peace and quiet of the people living there at night was prioritised over the consumption-free area. The City of Vienna did not agree with this proposal.

In the meantime, an improvement has at least been achieved for the residents: Thanks to the increased deployment of an "awareness and fair play team", some of the night-time activity has moved to another area, meaning that the neighbours of Wientalterrasse now have a little more peace and quiet again. Ombudsman Rosenkranz also saw the improvements in a positive light.


Translation was AI-generated

Ombudsman
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