Borussia Dortmund is threatened with huge traffic chaos before the top Bundesliga game against RB Leipzig on Friday evening. The all-day warning strike by the Verdi union will affect arrival and departure "with full force", the club says - and advises calm.
At the Bundesliga top game between Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig on Friday evening, football fans have to reckon with considerable problems when traveling to and from the venue due to the strike. The Dortmund local transport company DSW21 announced that a all-day warning strike would completely shut down local transport connections with buses and light rail. "Then nothing really works on our part," said a spokesman for DSW21.
Experience has shown that around 30,000 of the 81,365 spectators in the sold-out stadium would use local public transport, including the S-Bahn and regional trains, to get to the BVB stadium, explained the spokesman for DSW21. The majority of fans who do not come by car travel to the event via three DSW21 suburban transport lines. A five-minute cycle is usually offered. After the end of the game, the beat is even faster, because the next tram usually pulls in after one exit.
In addition, the local transport company usually also offers a shuttle service between the university parking lots and the BVB stadium, which is also canceled this Friday. However, DSW21 also pointed out that the S-Bahn and regional trains, which are usually also used by fans to travel to and from the venue, are not affected by the warning strike on Friday. Germany's largest football stadium has its own stop for regional trains.
In view of the warning strike in local public transport, the Dortmund police assume that more fans will want to drive to the stadium by car. She therefore advises not to drive to the stadium and the surrounding parking lots in the first place, because these are likely to fill up very quickly. Fans arriving by car should park further away and be prepared for a 45 or 60 minute walk. "The bike or your own feet - these are the means of transport of choice on Friday," said a spokesman.
According to BVB, "traffic situations can arise that demand a great deal of patience from visitors and may force the responsible institutions to make very unpopular decisions at short notice". In order to avoid problems, BVB asked the fans to leave the stadium early." Caution should also be exercised when leaving the arena. "Don't be in a hurry, keep calm, allow for longer waiting/dwell times and think about all your individual needs Planning always includes children and young people who may accompany you and their safety," said the Revierklub.
Verdi has announced extensive warning strikes in local public transport in North Rhine-Westphalia for Friday in the public service wage conflict. The focus is on the Ruhr area from Duisburg to Dortmund and the Rhineland. "Fridays for Future" and ver.di are calling for a demonstration on Friedensplatz in Dortmund at 12 noon. In addition to the Dortmund company DSW21, other large local transport companies such as KVB in Cologne are affected.
