Federal Transport Minister Steffen Bilger (CDU) has expressed concern over the declining water levels in German rivers and announced further exceptions to the Sunday driving ban for trucks.
According to the CDU politician, the situation remains “very tense” because there has been insufficient rainfall again, and water levels are still extremely low. Working with his state colleagues, he is currently reviewing how to ensure necessary flexibility for businesses beyond September.
Bilger stated that this includes granting additional, temporary exceptions to the Sunday and public holiday driving bans for trucks. These exemptions are meant to allow goods that cannot be transported or can only be transported with limitations due to the low water levels via waterways to instead be transported by road.
Although most of the current exemption regulations were originally scheduled to expire at the end of September, the Minister emphasized that this is not a permanent solution. He explained, “We need these exceptions now to help businesses through this exceptional situation. At the same time, we are creating additional capacity on the rail network and must ensure in the long term that our waterways and shipping can better handle such low water events.” Key rivers relevant to inland shipping include the Rhine, as well as the Elbe, Danube, Main, and Mosel.
