René Bormann, Reinhold Dellmann, Werner Faber, Helmut Holzapfel, Marion Jungbluth, Mathias Stein DIREKT 13/ 2021 SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC TRANSPORT POLICY – DEFINE, DECIDE, APPLY AT A GLANCE Politics is never purely pragmatic. Interests are always at play. The current discussion about the transformation of transport needs to focus more on protecting the interests of hardworking and low-income groups. This will require a decisive, proactive reorganisation of the entire transport system, zero tolerance for rule-breaking, greater powers for the state and a socially just redistribu‑ tion of traffic space. What is social transport policy? Is there such a thing as transport or mobility policy whose social orientation dis‑ tinguishes it from other approaches? For decades transport policy has been understood as a largely pragmatic policy field whose uncontested objec‑ tive was to construct and upgrade infrastructure. The role of government was to provide sufficient infrastructure to satisfy demand. Political differences played no discern‑ ible role and were ostensibly irrelevant. Social aspects were addressed through reduced fares and at a very gener‑ al level in the scope of public services. The consequence of this supposedly pragmatic approach was the dominance of the motor car. For a number of years now this discourse has come – absolutely justifiably – under increasing pres‑ sure. Large sections of society are demanding a“Verkehrs‑ wende” or“transport transformation”, to follow the “Energiewende”, the energy transformation, i.e. the move from fossil fuels to renewable and green sources of energy. The role of the transport sector in meeting the CO 2 reduc‑ tion targets set by Berlin and Brussels comes up especially frequently. Urban quality of life debates also play a role, which emphasise cycling and new mobility services, includ‑ ing all forms of rental and sharing services. Yet, the important social aspects are rarely discussed in the discussions on future mobility. In fact, those with less purchasing power often use neither cars nor the mostly expensive forms of new mobility. But other questions cer‑ tainly are relevant to their lifeworld: Which modes of trans‑ port are prioritised when public funding is tight? Which is granted the larger share of public space? What does the regulatory framework look like? If they are to make their interests felt, they need a strong voice in the debate. SOCIAL TRANSPORT POLICY: GUIDED BY THE NEEDS OF THE WEAKEST Social transport policy gives a voice to the weakest and seeks social equilibrium. The goal is a transport policy for the overwhelming majority of society. Four target dimen‑ sions can be distinguished: 1. Maximise participation; 2. Maximise quality of life for all; 3. Maximise social efficiency; 4. Maximise safety. In this contribution we discuss all four dimensions, seeking to initiate a fundamental debate on the principles of a socially grounded, proactive mobility policy. MAXIMISE PARTICIPATION People with low incomes and people with restricted mobil‑ ity – which includes older people, children and youth as well as people with disabilities – have a right to participate in society and its activities. Enabling maximum participa‑ tion means ensuring that all the associated functions are >