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In the future, access roads to city centers in Austria will be monitored by cameras. The new amendment to the Road Traffic Regulations is set to come into force in May 2026.
Heavy traffic is a problem in many cities, including in Austria. A new law is now intended to remedy this situation and restrict access to exceptionally protected areas such as city centers, school surroundings, and residential areas.
The amendment to the Road Traffic Regulations (StVO) was presented by Transport Minister Peter Hanke in Vienna on October 16, 2025, and is set to come into force in May 2026. The aim is to restrict access to sensitive areas to residents, taxis, delivery services, and emergency services. However, motorcycles and mopeds are exempt from the regulation.
This will be monitored by cameras that record every license plate and compare it with a database. According to the draft, anyone who enters without permission and does not leave within 30 minutes is committing an offense under § 52 of the Road Traffic Regulations. Penalties start at 70 euros and can rise to 2,180 euros for repeat offenses.
To ensure that no one can claim they were unaware of the rules, a new traffic sign is currently being developed to warn drivers of the entrance. In addition, a road marking consisting of a white camera symbol and the words “ZUF-KONTROLLE” (access control) will indicate that the road is closed to traffic. According to the Ministry of Transport, no personal data will be stored during recording—only the license plate numbers. This is to ensure that the technology remains compliant with data protection regulations.
The system also recognizes foreign license plates. However, there is currently no interface in the EU for checking owner data in real time. It is not yet clear which areas will actually be affected. Around 25 cities are said to have already expressed interest, including Vienna, Linz, Graz, Leoben, and St. Pölten.
- source: heute.at/picture: pixabay.com
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