Uproar in Basel's residential district E-charging stations replace parking spaces - residents annoyed
They were intended to pave the way for electromobility, but new e-charging stations are raising questions in Basel's Landauer district. Residents complain about vacancies, awkward positioning and an obstacle on the sidewalk.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Residents in a residential area of Basel are annoyed. The city sacrificed parking spaces to build two e-charging stations.
- However, they are not being used.
- With the installation, the city of Basel is pursuing the goal of promoting electromobility through publicly accessible charging stations.
- However, this decision has been met with criticism regarding the choice of location and capacity utilization.
Two new e-charging stations in Basel's Landauer district have been infuriating local residents for two weeks - not because they are being actively used, but because they are empty. Residents are shaking their heads at what they see as a "prank" and are annoyed at the loss of three already scarce parking spaces, as reported by 20 Minuten.
"Since the stations have been there, we've never seen an electric car," complain two local residents. They describe the location, in a cul-de-sac with no stores or restaurants and far from a main road, as questionable. "We have neither through traffic nor a need for this meeting street. But we are now missing out on valuable parking spaces."
The scale of the problem is concrete: the two new charging stations, which previously provided space for three vehicles, measure 15.2 meters. In addition, there is a sign in the middle of the sidewalk, making it difficult for wheelchair users and baby carriage users to get around.
Who wanted it? Two requests, a lot of resentment
Ironically, according to the residents, there are hardly any electric cars on the road in the district. But Reto Müller from Industrielle Werke Basel (IWB) disagrees: "We have received two specific applications for a charging station in this neighborhood. And they have already been used." IWB operates a platform on which applications for charging stations can be submitted - 283 such requests have been received so far.
The installation of the charging stations is part of a larger strategy: Basel-Stadt wants to create 200 public charging stations in neighborhoods by 2026 to meet demand. "The decisive factor is not through traffic - the charging station is not designed for this, nor should it and will it attract it. The decisive factor is that residents of the neighborhood without their own parking space will also have the opportunity to switch to electromobility and charge their cars close to their homes in the future," explains Müller. The project is a component of the "Net Zero 2037" strategy, which aims to achieve climate neutrality in the canton of Basel-Stadt.
Müller qualifies the criticism of the lack of utilization: "Experience shows that usage increases over time."
One problem remains: The awkwardly placed sign
One point that the Office for Mobility also acknowledges is the incorrectly placed sign on the sidewalk. "The signal should have been on the edge of the sidewalk. We are looking into a correction," says a spokesperson for the office. A quick solution seems to be in sight.
The new e-charging stations in the Landauer district are emblematic of the transition to climate-neutral mobility - but also of the challenges that this entails. While the city of Basel is focusing on long-term effects, local residents are struggling with the loss of parking space and the current emptiness at the charging stations.
The editor wrote this article with the help of AI.
