How does NRW drive?

A turnaround in transport is needed – to combat congested cities and motorways, dilapidated railways and a heated climate. But what is the situation in North Rhine-Westphalia? Anna Planken and Daniel Aßmann travel through NRW and show where things are already moving and where no progress is being made.

Almost 5 million people in NRW commute to work every day. Most of them take the car. Is it possible without? A family in the countryside is conducting an experiment and trying to make all their journeys by bus, train, bike and on foot for a week. One thing is clear: there can be no transport revolution without buses and trains. But there is a shortage of thousands of drivers and train drivers. Daniel Aßmann is doing an internship with the railway. In the simulator, he learns what it takes to drive a train safely. If he masters this, he will be allowed to take the wheel of a regional train. Is cycling a safe alternative? Anna Planken gets to the bottom of this question in Cologne, the city in NRW where there are the most crashes. She finds out how cycling can still be a safe alternative here and what role committed citizens and courageous politicians play.

We do the test: bike versus car. Two work colleagues swap their vehicles and have some surprising experiences. Daniel Aßmann wants to find out why the RS1 cycle highway has not been completed for decades. Simply walking is often the most popular form of transport in cities – if it weren’t for one major problem: a lack of accessibility. Anna and Daniel tidy up and collect everything that is in the way on our pavements. What does this mean for people with disabilities? Anna Planken uses special glasses to experience how visually impaired people feel. Anna and Daniel in Datteln experience what happens when car parks become living space and streets become cycle lanes or car-free school routes.