Temporary authorisations (orders, permits)

The traffic information service often indicates that film shootings in the city will lead to temporary road closures. What is good news for Berlin as a film city doesn’t seem to be good news for the residents. So it is one of the difficult tasks of the Berlin Traffic Control to satisfy the interests of the film-makers as well as those of the traffic participants.

A film-shooting means a lot of work. Before the shootings within the public space may start, the film-makers have to apply for a permit at the Berlin Traffic Control. If the location of the shooting affects public traffic, and road closures will be required, an individual special regulation will be worked out in coordination with the police (formal hearing). Further details regarding the location of the film shooting, time and duration as well as the need for full or partial road or pavement closures are the prerequisites for the traffic control to order the possibly required road or pavement closures. Additionally, the borough office for civil engineering, which in its function as owner of the public road area, will be involved for the granting of a special permit according to the “Berliner Straßengesetz” (Berlin law on public roads).

• Traffic obstruction permit for filming

But it’s not only the film shooting on the streets that causes traffic restrictions. Stopping restrictions have to be used while shooting films in buildings or in non-public areas, where it is required to park the vehicles that transport the technical equipment of the company in the immediate vicinity of the film shooting location. Anyone who has ever observed a film shooting knows the dimension of such convoys of transport vehicles. In 2006, for example, the Berlin Traffic Control had to deal with 4.166 transactions – from the general film shooting permit to the annual decision on the installation of stopping restrictions up to the use of trailers and flashing blue light while driving.

The appeal of Berlin’s cultural landscape and its metropolitan charm are almost unimaginable without the inspirations provided by numerous events.

In view of the plenty of offered events it can be easily overlooked how difficult it is for all involved parties to launch such initiatives. Major events as for example the Football World Championship 2006 were an enormous challenge which the Berlin Traffic Control had to meet.

Especially important is the observance of special formalities. But nobody should be put off by such procedures which at first sight seem to be difficult.

Numerous and significant events take place particularly within the central area of our city, requiring areas that are declared as public traffic areas. For that reason a permit is required from the road traffic authority according to § 29 paragraph 2 of the Road Traffic Regulations.
This is the case when the road traffic will be restricted due to the number or behaviour of the traffic participants or the manner of driving of the participating vehicles.

The organiser has to ensure that the road traffic regulations and possible conditions and requirements are followed.

Abnormal and heavy load transports are widespread even in the cityscape of Berlin. Heavy load transports are vehicles or their loadings which exceed the statutory measurements and weights.

In accordance with § 29 paragraph 3 and/or § 46 paragraph 1 no. 5 of the Road Traffic Regulations a permit and/or certificate of exemption is required for the transport by vehicles and trailers exceeding the statutory allowed limits in terms of loadings or dimensions, axle load or total weight.

A considerable part of the carriage of freight or delivery vehicles with so-called “indivisible load” (no parcels) is managed by means of roads, tunnels and bridges.
Responsible authority for granting permits or certificates of exemption is the authority within whose area the transport starts, or where the company has its registered office. The processing of the applications will usually require two weeks, but in case of static recalculations of bridge constructions, complex hearing procedures and requests of other federal states the processing times are likely to be longer.
The granted permits often go beyond the federal state of Berlin. Partly they will be also be granted on a national basis.
Foreign companies have to submit their applications for heavy load transports to the local administration authority responsible for the border crossing.
The application for abnormal load or heavy goods transport requires the application form according to the “guidelines for the application and approval procedure regarding the operation of abnormal loads or heavy goods transports (RGST 1992)” – source VkBL. (German Transport Gazette). For more information please see category Services / Permits.

The implementation of rail replacement services often requires some changes in transport, which have to be ruled and ordered by the Road Traffic Regulations (StVO). That means additional stops are placed, stopping restrictions are required, and the existing regulations have to be adapted to the new conditions. The traffic regulation orders are made by the VLB according to § 45 of the Road Traffic Regulations.

From the point of view of the police plannable gatherings, demonstrations and manifestations as well as important national policy events and state visits often require to guarantee the public security and public order, and therefore road traffic measures from stopping restrictions up to temporary full closures have to be decided on by the Berlin Traffic Control.

By means of detailed information and respective signpost planning the police president therefore asks the Berlin Traffic Control for a traffic regulation order in accordance with the Road Traffic Regulations that has to be addressed to the competent body for construction and maintenance of the borough.

Additionally, in individual cases e. g. on the occasion of in-house events with considerable impacts on the public road area, security measures are considered by the traffic services of the police, which basically will be ordered after the coordination with the Berlin Traffic Control or the borough road traffic authorities.

Some examples for such events are fairs as the International Green Week taking place in exhibition halls, matches of the German Football League in the Olympic stadium, and extraordinary traffic controls on the federal motorways.

According to § 46 of the StVO (Road Traffic Regulations) the road traffic authorities can grant certificates of exemption on request for a lot of interdictions of the Road Traffic Regulations.
However, such certificates of exemption are granted by the traffic control exclusively

• in connection with film shooting activities,
• for driving, stopping or parking on the reserved bus lanes, also called special bus lanes,
• in connection with the towing of vehicles in the area of the federal motorways, or
• in reference to stopping and parking prohibitions according to § 12 Road Traffic Regulations (unless ruled otherwise by respective signposts), and
• in reference to the use of blue and yellow flash light in connection with the siren – when indicated.

All other certificates of exemption – and therewith the considerably bigger part – will be operated by the road traffic authorities of the boroughs.