With concern rising over the state of Germany’s infrastructure, the government put together a panel of business and labor leaders to discuss how to deal with the issue. The result is a 10-point plan that calls on the government to create special funds that would give ordinary Germans the ability to invest in infrastructure projects. The country’s famed autobahn network will no longer be free to use, with motorists soon to be required to pay for stickers in order to drive on them. But this is a far more massive attempt to bring new funding into what’s been described as an ageing transport system. It’s not expected that the country’s roads would be privatized. Instead, vehicles are to be created that would allow major insurance companies and pension funds to take part in the construction and repair of countless roads, bridges and even public buildings. Investments are also being sought for the country’s broadband networks and energy systems.
