Bollards instead of barriers – this is where Hamburg tax money trickles away

In eight cases, the taxpayers' association accuses the city of Hamburg of wasteful use of taxpayers' money in its new black book. In the 50th anniversary edition published nationwide on Wednesday, six examples from the Hanseatic city are listed, two more are denounced online. They range from automatic bollards, which are in need of repairs and used to replace a simple barrier at the entrance to the city park, to a fairway for barges in Hafencity that costs millions but is not needed, according to the taxpayers' association.

In the city park, a simple barrier was replaced by the bollard system. Since then it has been out of service for more than four years and cost around 35,000 euros for repair and maintenance work. Furthermore, the black book criticizes the renting of an additional office building by the citizenry during corona-related home office times and the well-considered but then not implemented use of corona funds to support the traditional Blankenese Easter bonfires.

The establishment of a vaccination center especially for city employees for 1.2 million euros, the debacle surrounding the award of a 9 million euro subsidy contract for the development of a so-called fintech accelerator, which was finally withdrawn, and the plans to build further bicycle parking garages despite vacancies in the Enclosure on Kellinghusenstrasse Entrance to the anniversary edition.

But it's not just the barge fairway in HafenCity that's being denounced online. The other use of the money from the sale of the Volksparkstadion property to the city by HSV, which was actually intended for the stadium renovation, is listed as an example of careless handling of taxpayers' money.

These examples show once again "that the Hamburg Senate or those responsible are not able to draw up solid cost estimates and then implement them consistently," summed up the Hamburg taxpayers' association. Projects are pushed without their usefulness being checked beforehand. Hasty action often leads to bad decisions with serious consequences. With some projects, the impression also arises that it is all about prestige, it said.