North Rhine-Westphalia extends Sunday truck ban suspension

North Rhine-Westphalia has extended the suspension of the Sunday truck driving ban until September 30 due to persistent low water levels on German waterways. This extension lasts one month longer than originally planned to mitigate the impact of restricted inland shipping capacities on supply chains.

Christoph Kösters, Managing Director of the Association for Transport and Logistics North Rhine-Westphalia, welcomed the decision, noting that shifting freight to roads has helped absorb some of the disruption. However, he cautioned that road transport cannot fully compensate for the loss of inland shipping capacity and that driver and vehicle availability remain limited.

Additionally, regulations now allow dangerous goods containers to be stored in ports for longer periods than usual, which has reduced systemic pressure and prevented the anticipated heavy traffic congestion on motorways.