Berlin Court Reviews Legality of Proposed Car Ban Referendum

The Berlin Constitutional Court has concluded oral arguments on the proposed initiative to restrict most cars within the S-Bahn Ring but has not announced a ruling timeline.

The 'Volksentscheid Berlin autofrei' initiative seeks to ban most cars within the Berlin S-Bahn Ring, allowing only limited exceptions for essential services and private use up to 12 times per year.
The Berlin Senate referred the proposal to the Constitutional Court in 2022, arguing it could violate constitutional rights such as freedom of movement and property rights.
The court held a four-hour hearing on April 2, 2025, during which both the initiative and the Senate presented their arguments, but no preliminary legal assessment or ruling date was provided.
Key issues under review include jurisdictional authority between Berlin and the federal government and whether the proposed restrictions infringe on individual freedoms and professional rights.
If deemed constitutional, the initiative will need to collect 170,000 signatures to proceed to a public referendum.