Boris Palmer writes an incendiary letter to Habeck because he is not allowed to switch off the lanterns at night

Created: 12/16/2022, 5:30 am

By: Niklas Noack

Boris Palmer wants to switch off all streetlights in his city at night.

Because this is forbidden, Tübingen's mayor wrote a fire letter to Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck.

Tübingen – Boris Palmer does what he wants again.

Tübingen's Lord Mayor has now decided to switch off all of the streetlights in his city four times a week between one and five o'clock - to save energy.

However, this measure also affects zebra crossing lighting, which is a problem.

Because the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Transport has informed the municipalities of a "lighting obligation".

It was also said that no exceptions were provided in this regard - neither for "technical reasons nor energy saving intentions".

Boris Palmer considers the risk of unlit zebra crossings to be justifiable

A law that pissed off Boris Palmer and prompted him to write a fire letter to Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens), which he later published on Facebook, as BW24 reports.

In it he made it clear that he considers the risk of unlit zebra crossings to be negligible in terms of the energy crisis.

He wrote: "Even late in the evening, pedestrians in Tübingen are not interested in red traffic lights, but walk across the street when and how they want.

At three o'clock in the morning there are hardly any people on the streets and certainly no children.

When a car comes, the lights are on and a pedestrian can judge when it is safe to cross the street.

Common sense tells you that this is justifiable, at least in the European energy crisis that you have repeatedly described as a result of the attack on Ukraine.”

Boris Palmer (r.) Expresses his displeasure to Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens).

© Eibner/IMAGO/IMAGO/Future Image/Montage/BW24

Boris Palmer asks Robert Habeck for a reaction

Palmer therefore considers the lighting obligation to be outdated and feels restricted in his actions.

He told Habeck that one is clinging to regulations, not thinking outside the box and "throws a spanner in the works for those who act." In his letter, he asked Habeck for a statement, which so far has not commented on Palmer's demands.

So far, the lighting of public buildings, such as the town hall in Tübingen, has been prohibited due to the energy crisis.

Measures that are not enough for Palmer.

The OB keeps making headlines.

Most recently, Palmer advertised his book after the alleged murder in Illerkirchberg and was met with incomprehension.