Four German states suspend Sunday lorry ban amid low river levels

Lorries were permitted on the roads in parts of Germany on Sunday after four states temporarily eased restrictions on Sunday lorry traffic in response to transport problems on the country's waterways.

North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland have relaxed the ban on Sunday and public holiday lorry traffic, with North Rhine-Westphalia's Transport Ministry restricting the exemption to "transports and empty runs that are directly or indirectly connected with addressing the consequences of low water levels on the Rhine."

Holger Lösch of the Federation of German Industries (BDI) told the Rheinische Post newspaper that shifting freight to rail and road during periods of low water levels could mitigate the impact and help stabilize value chains.

The trade union Verdi was critical. "This initiative comes at the expense of employees in the transport and logistics sector and calls into question the legally protected Sundays and public holidays as days of rest and recovery," Verdi's Uwe Köpke said.

The measure in North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony is initially limited until August 31.

Drought has caused continuing low water levels on Germany's major rivers, forcing many cargo vessels to reduce their loads.