Wüst wants to connect every place with more than 20,000 inhabitants to public transport

Created: 05/03/2022Updated: 05/03/2022 10:52 p.m

Hendrik Wüst, Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia.

© Rolf Vennenbernd/dpa

The five top candidates for the state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia have unanimously spoken out in favor of improving the infrastructure and local public transport.

A point of contention in the discussion on Tuesday evening in the WDR live program "Wahlarena" was the renovation of the many dilapidated motorway bridges in NRW.

Greens top candidate Mona Neubaur spoke out in favor of prioritizing the many projects more strongly.

Cologne - The Rahmede Viaduct on the A45 near Lüdenscheid, which has been completely closed for months, is a "symbol that we have to prioritize," said Neubaur.

"Renovation before new construction, that's the solution."

According to Neubaur, other, less important projects such as the construction of bypass roads may have to be postponed.

NRW Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst interrupted Neubaur on the subject.

"The Rahmede Viaduct will not be completed any faster if a bypass is not built somewhere," said Wüst.

Because there are very different responsibilities for these projects.

One (the autobahn) is a federal matter, the federal roads are a state matter.

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According to the current status, the Rahmede viaduct is to be rebuilt.

SPD top candidate Thomas Kutschaty also spoke out in favor of renovating the Rahmede Viaduct so that the important north-south axis can be used again quickly.

Rebuilding the bridge would take too long.

For the renovation of the many dilapidated bridges one would have to "take more money in hand".

A total of around 60 bridges in NRW are considered to be in need of rehabilitation.

Family Minister Joachim Stamp (FDP) emphasized that there should be “no new approval procedure” for the new construction of the Rahmede Viaduct in order to push construction as quickly as possible.

All candidates agreed that public transport in NRW had to be further expanded.

AfD top candidate Markus Wagner said public transport must first “become more attractive.

"We need a better connection and timing."

Wüst wants to ensure that all places with more than 20,000 inhabitants have an express bus or rail connection.

Above all, Kuchaty spoke out in favor of better connections to rural areas.

"People in rural areas are also entitled to local public transport," said Wüst's challenger, who, according to surveys, is likely to be neck-and-neck with incumbent Wüst in the state elections in twelve days.

According to Kuchaty, more "buses on demand" could be organized.

That can be done relatively quickly.

There are already many initiatives in the country to do this.

dpa