Youth organisations in talks with Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder on youth-friendly mobility

The two-day event focussed on a thematic exchange on the future of mobility that meets the needs of young people. Representatives from eleven youth organisations - including the Federation of German Catholic Youth (BDKJ), the Federation of German Rural Youth (BDL), BUNDjugend, the Federal Youth Organisation of the AWO, the German Choral Youth, the German Hiking Youth, the DGB Youth, the Youth of the German Alpine Club, the Young ADFC, the Naturefriends Youth and the Association of Christian Scouts (VCP) - had already met on Sunday to bring together their key concerns and prepare them professionally.

After an intensive preparation process and feedback with the relevant specialist departments of the Federal Ministry of Transport, the youth association representatives finalised their demands and presented them to the Federal Minister of Transport. In particular, they emphasised the importance of affordable, safe and barrier-free mobility options for young people and stressed the need to place climate-friendly and socially acceptable transport concepts more firmly at the centre of political decisions.
The youth association representatives put forward concrete measures to promote cycling and walking, to strengthen public transport and to provide binding participation opportunities for young people in the Ministry of Transport. They emphasised that youth-friendly mobility is a prerequisite for social participation and growing up in a self-determined way.

DBJR Chairman Wendelin Haag emphasised that a sustainable mobility policy must consistently take into account the perspectives of young people and anchor them structurally in transport planning and policy in order to strengthen their mobility options. The pilot youth participation format provided an important impetus for expanding and permanently strengthening youth participation in the Federal Ministry of Transport.