A skate ban has recently been implemented on Lendplatz and Kaiser-Josef-Platz. This causes anger among the skaters and now also for urgent applications in the municipal council. An unclear legal situation gives the skater community hope. How city government could lift the ban.
Initially, the signs were pointing to relaxation. For Lendplatz, residents and skaters agreed on rest periods, moderated by City Councilor Kurt Hohensinner (ÖVP) and the Graz Peace Office. On Sundays and public holidays and after 9 p.m., the skateboards should have a break at Lendplatz. A successful model, so a similar solution should be found for Kaiser-Josef-Platz, which had become the city’s second skateboard hotspot during lockdown. But even before a full agreement was reached there, at the end of April two legally trained residents reported a violation of §88 of the Road traffic regulations located, things started again. And the police to now also execute this paragraph.
The FPÖ, with the ÖVP in a coalition, made – among other things on its own website – Additionally mobile against the skaters. Since then, the Lendplatz compromise is history and the police punish skaters who do not adhere to the “ban” with € 15 each. The Grazer Rollbrett Ästheten Bund has agreed to take over the organ punishments. He also supports those skaters who want to bring an advertisement to other instances.
Unclear legal situation
However, this legal situation does not seem really clear. In a nutshell: According to §88 of the Road Traffic Act, playing on the streets is prohibited – unless the authority decrees an exception and closes it „Play streets ”. On the pavements or sidewalks, “driving on with vehicle-like toys and similar means of movement” is only permitted if this does not endanger anyone. According to the ministry, the interpretation for this lies with the federal states. The current interpretation since the neighboring„Advertisements ”and the FPÖ-Aktion: Only driving with a skateboard is allowed, but not doing tricks.
Exception instead of prohibition
A change in the road traffic regulations, but also a regulation by the city, could therefore bring about an exception for the two Graz marketplaces. The doctor Lisa Veith, chairwoman of the “Skater Representation” GRÄB, also counts on this: “We hope that the city will approve an exception for the two places and that we can still achieve the compromise that we had already almost fixed . ” In any case, since the de facto ban, GRÄB has been in close contact with City Councilor Hohensinner and Head of Sports Department Thomas Rajakovic. They had promised that the expansion or renovation of several Graz skate parks would be brought forward. “If all of this is implemented like this, then we are definitely satisfied with the skate infrastructure,” says Lisa Veith. However, she doubts that this will keep the skaters away from the two marketplaces.
“We won’t let ourselves be ousted”
For skaters, the current ban is no reason to be driven from the courts. Driving and sitting together is still allowed. Benny, a regular skater at Lend- and Kaiser-Josef-Platz, says: “We will certainly not allow ourselves to be pushed out of the public space and will continue to skate.” He suspects that the noise level could worsen. It is possible that the skaters now no longer adhere to the times agreed earlier. Lisa Veith also sees no solution to the actual noise problem in the pronunciation of the ban: “The ban is ludicrous. If you just roll, it makes a lot of noise. ”
Protests from all sides
The skaters now receive support from many directions. For example by Ralph, a photographer who presents the photo series “Your scapegoats” on Instagram under the motto “Skateboarding is not a crime”. The same slogan was also projected onto some buildings in Graz at night in order to set a sign of protest. With a open letter University professors from Graz spoke up last week. In it, Sebastian Ruin, Markus Tilp and Sylvia Titze highlight the importance of sport among young people and the pandemic-related decline in any movement. “The ban on skateboarding tricks in public places, which has now been pronounced in Graz, is a painful step backwards in the fight against a sedentary lifestyle,” it says. The scientists from the Institute for Movement Sciences, Sport and Health advocate a compromise between residents and skaters instead of the ban.
Political tailwind
From the political side, the skaters can hope for support. For the municipal council meeting on May 20, both the SPÖ and the Greens bring an urgent motion. According to local councilor Karl Dreisiebner (Greens), the compromise talks are to be continued. In a further instance, one would like “that the road authority formulate an ordinance that enables the exceptions for the Kaiser-Josefplatz and Lendplatz and can then be decided by the city government,” said Dreisiebner. In her urgent motion, councilor Anna Robosch (SPÖ) calls for a round table on the subject of “Skating in Graz” in order to find a solution other than the current ban.
Cover picture: Elisabeth Michalek
–
