Germany’s Left Party is advocating for the nationalization of highway restroom facilities, citing exorbitant fees and a failed privatization model. A policy paper released by the party’s federal executive board details concerns over current restroom access costs, with travelers frequently required to pay at least one euro per use at most service areas. The party describes the practice as exploitative and inconvenient.
The Left Party proposes free access to highway restrooms, suggesting a nominal fee-described as a “symbolic penny”-could be considered, but strictly without mandatory purchase. Central to the proposal is the return of highway service areas to public ownership. The party argues that the 1998 privatization of these facilities has proven detrimental, primarily benefiting financial investors at the expense of travelers. The paper calls for a phased reversal of the privatization of Tank und Rast, Germany’s largest operator of service areas, or, alternatively, placing the company under public control.
Funding for this transition would reportedly come from Germany’s infrastructure fund. Beyond restroom access, the Left Party is also demanding improved working conditions for cleaning staff and greater transparency regarding revenue generated from the facilities.
Janis Ehling, federal executive director of the Left Party, stated that travel should not be a luxury and accessing a restroom shouldn’t be either. He emphasized the party’s commitment to a fair, inclusive and clean infrastructure for all travelers, calling for an end to the current system and the return of responsibility to the public sector.