Bureaucratic madness

Bureaucratic madness:
Clamp lashing out against local boards of exchange

It is a small change in the highway code - but it pulls huge holes in the coffers of local governments: cities and towns need to replace hundreds of thousands of signs, for the repair of pothole damage so now the money is missing.

Klaus-Dieter Gröhler is a proper man: dark suit, tie, button-down shirt. CDU politician knows what makes an arrow from a heart isometric arrow. It is the shape of an arrowhead - barely visible to the average citizen. "Relatively minimal," says Gröhler the difference in the site visit in the Berlin Kalkhorst street.

But the small difference is a big problem for the Construction of the Berlin district of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. Around 100,000 euro cost him as the arrows on the Prohibition Park. As the old arrow, according to traffic regulations is no longer valid, must only be exchanged within his or thousands of signs. Not only no parking signs are concerned. maybe cheap car rental

"You could also call it as an economic program for signage companies," says Gröhler dry. Behind him, the orange truck roars from the civil engineering department over, on the way to the next sign. Gröhler must now benefiting from the budget for civil engineering entertainment redeploy.

A hole in the pothole-budget

The money is missing now, for example in the removal of potholes. As the harsh winter, the roads had not added enough. But the eradication of heart arrows takes precedence, so it wants an amendment to the Highway Code.

Until now a permanent transition. Old signs were usually only replaced if they are rusty, faded or were damaged. But not anymore.

In the Kalkhorst line, the men take the civil engineering department now an almost intact plate. In the shadow of an apartment building, it has held up well. 1991 is on the back. cheap car rental

The sign forest is being thinned out all over Germany. Municipalities that were in recent years are thrifty and have renewed only get broken plates and waiver of the transitional regime to feel the most. If it were up to the civil engineering office, could the old signs still hang a couple of years.

Image Search Road

Carsten Hansen is also acidic. All municipalities were affected nationwide, says the Head of Transport at the German Association of Towns and Municipalities. "I think it is totally unnecessary, that are being conducted for cosmetic reasons change."

The nationwide cost of sudden exchange actions can only be estimated. "We are expecting hundreds of millions," says the man from the Cities and Municipalities. Hansen speaks of "Image Search", but everyone knew what to say a street sign.

What does the large signs exchange for the taxpayer is thus clear. But what are the consequences of chaos for drivers? Old signs need not now be taken?

Exploit uncertainty

The German Automobile Club (ADAC) advises motorists to differentiate. Basically there is a legal uncertainty, says ADAC traffic lawyer Mark Schäpe. "As the Minister of Transport is required, it must be a clarification."

In summary proceedings of the motorists have a good chance to exploit the chaos of signs. Those who wrongly parked in outdated signs and gets a parking ticket could lodge an appeal and hope for success in administrative penalties. "If it is unclear whether the signs are on, it may not be at the expense of the motorist," said the lawyer.

When it comes to road safety, however, Schäpe recommends discipline. If there is an accident, a court would take into account is hardly a reference to the old version of a character. "As long as the meaning of a traffic sign can be seen, the driver must keep to it."

At the roundabout, you should therefore continue to go clockwise. Heart arrow or not. And even if they are banned in the symbol for the bicycle pedals now, you will quietly kick on familiar paths!