Friday, 4 September 2026: More 30 km/h zones on the ‘Lützner’, awards for a Leipzig-based group, Chambers of Commerce and Industry call for greater investment in Saxony

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Too much noise on Lützner Straße! The city is responding by introducing another 30 km/h zone. Signage will be put up from 14 September. The Leipzig team on the winners’ podium. At least for two of their projects: BonusMOVE and Leipziger Crowd bagged awards. And: Saxony’s Chambers of Industry and Commerce see a need for improvements to the Saxony budget. The LZ summarises the key events from Friday, 4 September 2026, in Leipzig and beyond.

More 30 km/h zones on ‘Lützner’

The speed limit is to be reduced to 30 kilometres per hour on a further section of Lützner Straße. The City of Leipzig announced this today. The new 30 km/h zone begins at Dürrenberger Straße – directly behind the Lindenau bus station – and stretches for around 900 metres to Marktstraße, an access road to Lindenauer Markt. There, it connects seamlessly with the speed limit that has been in place for the past five years, continuing all the way to the junction with Zschochersche Straße.

From Monday 14 September, the city will put up the relevant traffic signs. The measure will cost around 7,500 euros and is based on the second update of the Noise Action Plan. This is because the section on the border between Altlindenau and Lindenau is designated as a noise hotspot. This means that the trigger levels of 65 decibels during the day and 55 decibels at night are exceeded. Reducing the speed of motorised traffic is intended to remedy this situation. A positive side effect is that the lower speed limits will reduce the risk of accidents, making it safer for schoolchildren, pedestrians and cyclists in particular as they go about their day.

Leipzig-based group receives two awards

The Leipzig Group has been recognised for two projects in competitions. The BonusMOVE loyalty programme run by Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe (LVB) received a ‘Highly Commended’ rating in the ‘Best Loyalty Newcomer in Europe’ category at the European Loyalty Awards 2026 in London. This means that the programme, which has been in place since October 2025, is among the most successful new customer loyalty programmes in Europe.

BonusMOVE aims to combine sustainable mobility with local benefits. Users collect points when travelling by bus and train, as well as when using multimodal sharing services, which they can redeem with more than 25 partners in Leipzig. The programme is also designed to support local retailers, cultural and leisure facilities, and sports activities, whilst creating additional incentives for sustainable mobility. According to LVB, more than 50,000 people have already registered. In particular, LVB customers holding a Deutschlandticket can collect points by using the service and enjoy benefits with partners in Leipzig. This initiative was supported by the PUMa project to enhance commuter mobility and the transport transition, which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Transport.

The Leipzig Group, comprising the municipal utilities, waterworks and transport authorities, also took top honours at this year’s Marketing Club Leipzig awards. The digital donation platform “Leipziger Crowd – Making Joint Engagement Possible” was recognised as the best project in the “Engagement and Public Good” category. Through this platform, community-focused projects can collect donations from their supporters. The Leipzig Group matches every donation from its funding pot with an additional ten euros and provides support for the projects. According to the group, almost 1.9 million euros have been raised since the scheme began, and 180 projects have been implemented with the support of more than 17,800 donors. This makes Leipziger Crowd the most successful of 50 platforms run by municipal enterprises nationwide.

Chambers of Commerce and Industry call for amendments to Saxony’s dual budget

The Saxon Chambers of Industry and Commerce are calling for amendments to the draft 2027/2028 two-year budget. Funding must be focused more strongly on investment, innovation and securing a skilled workforce. The Chambers are critical of the planned reduction in the investment ratio from 17.4 per cent in 2023 to 12.1 per cent in 2028. For the core budget, they are calling for a permanent minimum of 15 per cent. Special funds and federal programmes should not be allowed to replace state investment.

The Chambers of Industry and Commerce welcome funding for future technologies, but call for broader support and the establishment of a Saxon ‘Future Foundation’. Funding for the GRW (Joint Task ‘Improvement of the Regional Economic Structure’) must also be reliably secured. Savings are to be achieved primarily through gradual staff reductions and greater administrative efficiency. With regard to securing a skilled workforce, the Chambers reject cuts to careers guidance. Joint training schemes and inter-company apprenticeship instruction must also be adequately funded.

What the LZ reported on today:

ProtestFlügel Leipzig: Rally and handover of demands to the Mayor

Hello Leipzig: How Friday 4 September 2026 kicks off the weekend

With votes from the Greens: Saxony’s Budget Committee clears the way for 30 new Leipzig trams

Napoleon: A biography that portrays the Emperor of the French from up close

Hydrogen put to the test: How research into safe supply networks is being conducted in Bitterfeld-Wolfen

Geutebrück construction project by HTWK Leipzig: The energy-efficient refurbishment is now entering its critical phase

What else was important:

Following a hacker attack on Berlin’s state network, the cybercriminals have now made around 1.4 million stolen data records available for download on the internet. This happened after an ultimatum expired, by which the perpetrators had demanded payment of bitcoins worth around two million euros. However, Berlin refuses to give in to blackmail.

Now Saxony appears to have been hit as well: following the attempted attacks on substations in Turnow-Preilack in Brandenburg and in Bergheim near Cologne, overhead power lines in the district of Görlitz are now also believed to have been targeted. According to a report in “Bild”, explosive and incendiary devices were found there today.

Global food prices have now risen to their highest level since the end of 2022. The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) announced this today in Paris. The rise is primarily a consequence of crop failures caused by extreme weather events, as well as the major military conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, and the US and Iran.