Halle Faces 96-Hour Public Transport Shutdown During Easter Market

Public Transport Shutdown Threatens Halle's Easter Market

From early Thursday morning through Monday morning (March 19–23, 2026)—a full 96 hours straight—the ver.di trade union plans to bring Halle's public transport operator, HAVAG, to a standstill. Buses and trams will remain parked in depots.

The strike will hit the city's business association particularly hard, as it is hosting the Easter Market from Friday to Sunday. Over 60 vendors will take part, offering children's rides and a small petting zoo. A special late-Sunday shopping day, with stores open from 1 to 6 p.m., is also planned.

Originally, HAVAG had intended to provide free tram rides to the market square via its movemix app. Now, however, the business association fears that visitor numbers will plummet.

Maria Gringer, chair of the city's business association, told our website that organizers are at least hoping for emergency services. During the last strike, ver.di had declared the weekend a "quiet strike day," lifting blockades on depot entrances. But whether that will happen this time remains unclear—so far, the union has not released any details.