German states suspend Sunday truck driving ban as drought cripples river shipping on Rhine, Danube and Elbe

Low water paralyzes inland shipping

Historically low water levels on the Rhine, Danube and Elbe are severely restricting inland shipping in Germany, as cargo ships can carry only reduced loads. The low levels have led to significant constraints on inland waterway transport and increasingly threaten the flow of goods, according to state ministries. Transport costs have risen, burdening industries dependent on bulk transport. Federal Transport Minister Steffen Bilger (CDU) announced several immediate measures on Thursday after a low-water conference with companies and associations in Bonn, including possible exemptions from the Sunday and holiday truck driving ban, fewer disruptions from avoidable construction sites, and additional rail freight capacity. Medium- and long-term measures include expanding waterways and adapting ships for low-water conditions.

States suspend Sunday truck ban

Several German states moved quickly to implement the exemptions. Saarland and Rheinland-Pfalz suspended the Sunday and holiday truck driving ban with immediate effect, valid until the end of September at the latest. Niedersachsen followed suit until the end of August. Nordrhein-Westfalen, led by Green Transport Minister Oliver Krischer, lifted the ban for certain trucks on Sundays and holidays and additionally permitted Saturday truck traffic during the summer holidays. The ban, in place since 1956, applies to trucks over 7.5 tons and was originally designed to preserve tranquility on rest days, improve road safety, and guarantee legal rest periods for drivers. The exemptions cover transport directly or indirectly related to restrictions on the Rhine, including goods normally shipped and empty runs needed to enable alternative transport. Oversized cargo transports are excluded.

Industry welcomes move, warns of limits

The Federation of German Industries (BDI) welcomed the temporary suspension. Holger Lösch, BDI deputy managing director, told the Rheinische Post that the federal government was demonstrating its ability to act in the extreme situation and that the agreed measures must be implemented quickly.

The shifting of goods to rail and road during the low-water period can mitigate the impact and stabilize supply chains.

Lösch cautioned that this would not fully compensate for the missing transport capacity on waterways. He called for higher investments in climate-resilient transport infrastructure, faster planning and approval procedures, sufficient staffing in relevant authorities, and greater government support for purchasing ships suitable for low-water conditions. The Federal Association for Road Haulage and Logistics (BGL) warned that driving and rest time regulations would still apply despite the additional days. BGL spokesman Dirk Engelhardt told the Rheinische Post on Thursday that there would thus be no increase in available driving time.

Opposition and environmentalists criticize

Die Linke rejected the easing outright. Party chairman Luigi Pantisano criticized the federal government for reacting "much too late" to the dramatic low water and accused the Union of using the crisis as a pretext to weaken the Sunday driving ban.

In the end, truck drivers are now supposed to pay for the government's failures and give up their well-deserved Sunday.

Pantisano called for supporting affected inland shippers and creating short-term additional rail capacity, arguing that more trucks mean more traffic jams, noise and emissions. The environmental organization BUND also sharply criticized the move. BUND chairman Olaf Bandt told the Rheinische Post that replacing ship transport with hundreds or thousands of truck trips was no solution and would burden people and the climate. He said the government had not understood that low river levels are a symptom of the climate crisis.

Greens divided

The Greens offered mixed reactions. Lisa Badum, climate policy spokesperson for the Greens' parliamentary group, told the Tagesspiegel that the federal government was trying to treat symptoms on time for summer and that sending even more trucks onto the roads was wrong. She called for intact rivers as a priority and a heat-resistant railway. Deputy parliamentary group leader Andreas Audretsch found the exemptions understandable, telling the Tagesspiegel that the need for such measures to avoid supply shortages showed the damage from the climate crisis to the economy was already enormous. He simultaneously accused Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) of ignoring the problem.

Not a word about heat deaths, not a word about water levels, now not a word about supply bottlenecks. That is notorious denial of reality.

Die Linke also presented a five-point plan for the water crisis, including the creation of sponge landscapes in river catchment areas, a public water register as a basis for a heat and drought strategy, stronger public water supply security, and financial support for municipalities in climate adaptation.