The Transitforum Austria-Tirol and local citizen groups have strongly opposed the Tirol state government’s proposed €500 million “Fernpass Package,” aimed at improving road infrastructure. On Thursday, Transitforum chairman Fritz Gurgiser criticized the plan, arguing that the project does little to alleviate the traffic issues facing local residents, particularly in rural areas. “The population is being trapped because no one is taking care of the issue,” Gurgiser stated.

He called for a comprehensive traffic management plan, a revision of the current 7.5-ton truck ban, and a staufree (traffic-jam-free) traffic dosing system. Gurgiser emphasized that traffic flow and public protection are already legally mandated under existing laws and demanded that the state government take action by the end of the year.

The opposition to the government’s plan stems from concerns over congestion costs and the environmental and social impacts of increased traffic. Gurgiser stressed that the traffic problem needs to be addressed at its roots rather than relying on infrastructural fixes like tunnel expansions. He also warned against the narrative of needing more roads, saying, “We don’t have too few roads, we have too much traffic.”

Criticism was also raised over the 7.5-ton truck traffic limit on the Fernpass road, with exceptions rendering it ineffective. Local citizen group leader Dietmar Leiter pointed out the challenges in enforcing these rules and called for reforms to control heavy vehicle traffic in the area better.

Despite the pushback, Tirol’s government stands by the Fernpass package, which includes the construction of the Fernpass tunnel and a second tube of the Lermooser tunnel, along with toll charges. Regional leaders argue that the project is crucial for meeting safety standards and easing traffic for local residents. However, critics maintain that without addressing the underlying traffic causes, the measures will do little to relieve the region’s congestion.