Wegen Niedrigwassers: Fahrverbot ausgesetzt - erste Laster rollen am Sonntag

Due to low water levels, a driving ban has been temporarily lifted for certain trucks on Sundays and holidays in several German states. The ban has already been lifted for some lorries on the highways in North Rhine-Westphalia on the first Sunday since the exception permit came into effect, according to dpa reporters. The NRW Transport Ministry suspended the driving ban on Friday for "transportations and empty runs directly or indirectly related to addressing the low water situation on the Rhine."

Due to the ongoing low water, many freight ships can currently only carry a fraction of their usual cargo. Transport Minister Oliver Krischer (Green) stated that the restrictions pose significant challenges for many companies. "With this exception regulation, we ensure that supply chains remain intact and supply bottlenecks can be avoided."

Industrial associations welcome the regulation, as they do not have fixed routes like ships and trains and will deliver goods to where customers need them. Bernhard Philipps, chairman of the Spedition and Logistik NRW association, told the WDR. BDI representative Holger Lösch said to the Rhinischen Post that shifting goods to rail and road during low water could mitigate the impacts and stabilize value chains.

However, insufficient transport capacities on the waterways would not be fully covered. Consequences followed the high-level meeting, with criticism from the union Verdi, who said the push goes against transport and logistics workers and questions the legal protected Sundays and holidays as days of rest and recreation. Besides North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland have temporarily lifted the Sunday and holiday driving ban.

The regulation is initially limited in NRW and Lower Saxony until August 31st. In NRW, lorries can also travel on Saturdays during the summer vacation. In Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, the exception permits are in place until at least September 30th.