Overview

• CDU faction leader Dirk Stettner proposes installing access gates at all 175 U-Bahn stations with costs of about €400 million over ten years covered by small fare increases.
• Designated SPD lead candidate Steffen Krach rejects the idea, arguing higher prices would burden riders and offer no clear gains in cleanliness or safety.
• Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district mayor Clara Herrmann of the Greens criticizes spending on gates while other city cleanliness and security programs face cuts.
• BVG says a closed, gated network like London or Paris is hardly feasible in Berlin due to station design and structural constraints.
• Recent reporting notes turnstiles would not reliably curb fare evasion without staffing every entrance, may do little against vandalism, and divert funds from priorities such as tunnel repairs, new trains, tram expansion, and driver recruitment.