The abolition of the two-metre rule in Baden-Württemberg is off the table! That's the decision. In its session on 16 October 2014, the state parliament followed the recommendation of the Petitions Committee, which had spoken out against an amendment to the Forest Act. The amendment proposed by the DIMB and other cycling associations were hardly recognised at all. Even the more than 58,000 signatures collected on the online petition could not sway the petitions committee. This law has banned cyclists from narrow paths in the forest for almost 20 years - and may continue to do so.
Heiko Mittelstädt, spokesperson and coordinator of the DIMB for Baden-Württemberg: "We find it regrettable that the state parliament has not committed to a modern, exclusion-free right of entry. In the absence of this positive approach, the convened "round table" must ensure an objective discussion all the more. However, as citizens and democrats, we respect the decision of the elected parliament."
After hope, now disillusionment
A meeting in Stuttgart shortly beforehand, at which representatives of the DIMBthe forestry, hunting, hiking and equestrian associations as well as the cycling associations and the ADFC in the Ministry for Rural Areas and Consumer Protection Baden-Württemberg on the topic of recreational use in the forest. The aim of this "round table" was to exchange ideas on how to improve co-operation in the forest.
The implementation of these ideas is likely to be made considerably more difficult by the decision of the state parliament. The official opening of narrow trails for bikers is therefore still only possible through a cumbersome special authorisation procedure at local authority level. Nevertheless, the aim is to increase the proportion of singletrack MTB trails that are authorised from the current 2.5% to around 10%.
Apart from that, mountain bikers from Baden-Württemberg still only have the option of biking in neighbouring federal states or illegally. And although experience shows that conflicts between hikers and mountain bikers are just as rare as comprehensive controls of the bike ban, the unpleasant feeling of doing something illegal while biking in the forest still lingers in the back of Baden-Württemberg's mind.
Why is Baden-Württemberg so opposed to bikers?
Of course, it is not the case that most people in Baden-Württemberg are against mountain bikers. The high proportion of bikers in the population and the low number of conflicts between bikers and other forest users despite the existing disregard for the trail ban at least suggest this. But the two-metre rule remains and with it the proverbial "bad taste".
In a prompt reaction on the BIKE Facebook page, many bikers blame the current state government or at least hope to be able to hold it responsible - after all, Prime Minister Kretschmann's Greens were still strictly in favour of abolishing the two-metre rule when they were in opposition:
- "What remains is civil disobedience. And the next state election, where we should clearly show this party of prohibition what we think of this kind of crony politics. I don't want to know which homies Mr Bonde has promised a decent chunk of the planned 6 million for signposting."
- "So much for this government's policy of "being heard". This is not about green self-interest or a railway station! The next state election is coming!"
- "Were there any MPs who refused to go along with this madness? There will be another election at some point"
Others do not believe that the situation for mountain bikers in Baden-Württemberg could have improved under a different government and are disenchanted with politics:
- "It certainly won't be down to the state government, all parties agree on that."
- "Next election is coming... What rubbish... Who of you "protest voters" really believes that even an alternative party has the e*** in its trousers to change that? It doesn't matter who is sitting there..."
- "Pure defiance ... and shameful for democracy."
- "Democracy.... what is that again?"
This article attempts to explain why the so-called two-metre rule is even an example of a misguided understanding of democracy. Blog post of the website www.waldleaks.de to explain. The operators of the site are committed to exposing the events surrounding trail closures for mountain bikers.
What do you think of the Baden-Württemberg state government's commitment to the two-metre rule? Join the discussion and use the comment function below this article.
