Bonn. On Saturday afternoon 11 people were rescued from an apartment building in Bonn-Vilich that had caught fire. Attentive neighbours alerted the fire brigade after hearing a fire alarm and smelling burning. Three fire brigade crews entered the ground floor apartment and managed to put the fire out quickly. Fire doors in the building also helped to prevent the fire from spreading to the upper floors. One person was seriously injured and taken to hospital. Attending the scene were the fire-fighting unit from fire station 2, a fire engine and logistics vehicle from fire station 1, the units of the voluntary fire brigade from Beuel and Oberkassel, two ambulances and an emergency doctor as well as the emergency command service.

(Original text: wrm)

Dispute over new trams

Bonn. Stadtwerke Bonn (SWB) plans to order 26 new low-floor, air-conditioned trams with an additional option of connecting them together with coupling. However, the high costs of this option - an additional 2.8 million euros - sparked a heated debate between the city council and the SWB. The new trams, the first of which, according to SWB, will probably not be delivered until the end of 2021, are necessary because the service life of the current trams has long since expired. In 2017, the TÜV certified that the existing trams, purchased in 1994, were in poor condition, with rust causing serious damage to the carriages. The expert saw an "urgent need for action", especially as the trams often break down. The new trams are now to be ordered for around 65 million euros. However, the city council voted to reject the coupling option due to the extra costs and the fact that longer trams would require the conversion of some tram stops.

(Original text: Lisa Inhoffen)

Praise for new roundabout in Beuel

Bonn. This week a new roundabout at the junction of Pützchens Chaussee/Oberkasseler Straße in Beuel was officially opened. The new roundabout shortly before entering Niederholtorf takes up considerably more space than the previous intersection. The project has received rare praise for three reasons: The construction company completed the work much faster than planned, despite a late start due to the Pützchens Markt. The approval and implementation process was accelerated by the Bonn Civil Engineering Office, and after a hesitant start to negotiations, the Forestry Office agreed to a reduction of the forest area, which allowed the roundabout to be constructed here. The construction costs of the roundabout amounted to 580,000 Euro. Positive effects have already been felt - the daily traffic jam in Holtof is now a thing of the past and air pollution during rush hour traffic has been reduced.

(Original text: Holger Willke)

Advents market in cloister

Bonn. On Sunday the Münster-Bauverein, a society responsible for the upkeep of Bonn cathedral, is organising an Advents market in the cloister for the third time. The market is open from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and also extends to the Gangolfsaal, one of the rooms inside. Stalls from the Bauverein, Caritas, Diakonie and the Kirchenpavillon provide a range of gift ideas away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The heated Gangolfsaal offers visitors peace and quiet and a chance for reflection on the upcoming Christmas season. Coffee, tea, mulled wine, punch for children and hot waffles are available. The Advent market can be reached via the former cathedral shop at Gerhard-von Are-Straße 5 or for wheelchairs and pushchairs via the cathedral information desk at Gangolfstraße 14. Pproceeds from the market will support the renovations of the cathedral.

(Original text: kph)

Translations: Caroline Kusch