Salzburg says summer restrictions cut 1,000 daily car trips

The City of Salzburg says its two-month summer traffic restrictions reduced car journeys through the city by about 1,000 a day, ORF reported on Tuesday. The measure, in place in July and August, barred cars from outside the central region from driving through the city centre to prevent recurring summer congestion.

Mayor Bernhard Auinger and Planning Councillor Anna Schiester said the target had been met. They also pointed to 14,896 combined parking and public transport tickets sold at park-and-ride facilities, about 5,400 more than in 2025.

The old-town car parks reached full capacity on 22 days, compared with 43 days the previous year. Traffic flow also improved on key roads in the city centre, while officials said no additional pressure was found on the alternative routes examined. Their overall assessment found a reduction of up to about 1,000 journeys on the busiest days to be technically plausible.

Critics, including the Salzburg Chamber of Commerce as well as the Austrian People’s Party and the Freedom Party, said the smoother traffic was mainly due to an extended period of good weather. In Salzburg, rainy summer days are traditionally among the busiest, as tourists from surrounding holiday communities visit the city during poor weather. This can cause delays or complete standstills, affecting public transport and emergency vehicles.

The restrictions applied to vehicles without licence plates from Salzburg city, Salzburg-Umgebung, Hallein or the Berchtesgadener Land district, including the BGD, REI and LF registrations. Exemptions covered deliveries, hotel guests, people with disabilities and those able to show that they worked in the old town.

The city’s governing coalition plans to tighten the rules in 2027 and cited strong public support. In a survey of 510 city residents, 78 percent backed the access ban for through traffic from outside the region.