Cologne is planning radical measures for cleanliness and safety in subway stations!

Cologne is planning radical measures for cleanliness and safety in subway stations!

The Cologne Transport Company (KVB) has big plans to improve safety and cleanliness in the city's subway stations. In view of the increasing problem of homelessness and drug use, a package of measures has been put together that includes not only the closure of certain stops at night, but also other approaches to support the people affected. KVB board chairwoman Stefanie Haaks emphasizes that some of the measures can be financed from our own resources, while others rely on political support. The cost of full implementation could be several million euros, but the KVB must find solutions as a loss of 131.4 million euros was recorded in 2023 alone, and the city of Cologne also expects large deficits in the future.

A key element of the plan includes the introduction of roller shutters at stops to allow night-time closures. A pilot project at Appellhofplatz is intended to show whether this measure is effective. The KVB also plans to use a shuttle bus that takes homeless people to emergency shelters and to offer a “warming room” on a KVB bus. These services could be particularly important in the cold months and require an additional 2.5 million euros for 35 positions to be present 24 hours a day at 20 stops.

Safety concept and cleaning measures

Another focus is on an improved safety concept, which also includes the hiring of 38 new employees to increase safety at the stops. In addition to personalizing security services, more frequent cleaning of subway stations with special cleaning products is also required. Parents are concerned about their children's safety on the way to school, which highlights the need for these measures. In addition, passenger manager teams are to be introduced, which on the one hand carry out ticket checks, but on the other hand also serve as contact persons and ensure greater safety on the trains, buses and at the stops, as Radio Erft reports.

The situation of the homeless in Cologne

Meanwhile, the question of support for homeless people remains a key issue. The Social Service of Catholic Men (SKM) emphasizes that help is urgently needed for these people and advocates that they should not simply be sent away. Anke Collignon from the SKM points out that many emergency sleeping places are unattractive and often have little privacy. Homelessness is also seen as a result of the tense housing market in Cologne, where the lack of living space and sharply increased rents lead to a vicious circle. Andreas Ette, an experienced street worker, warns that many people in precarious situations are not receiving adequate treatment and that social support is decreasing. This underlines the urgency of creating social housing to address the central problem of homelessness, as t-online notes.

The KVB is therefore faced with major challenges, because while it is planning measures to improve it, the fundamental problem of the housing situation in Cologne remains. The goal must be to meet the safety needs of passengers as well as to treat people in need with respect and offer them support.