German Minister of Transport affirms no to gigaliners

22 June 2009. German Minister of Transport Wolfang Tiefensee thinks nothing of the mega truck plans by the EU Commission. In an interview with the Pro-Rail Alliance (Allianz pro Schiene) he affirmed his clear no to longer and heavier trucks. “I can not see that this is good for Germany or good for Europe.”, Tiefensee said and gave a clear rejection to the plans of the EU Commission to introduce mega tucks Europe-wide.

Already in October 2007 the 16 Transport Ministers of the German federal states spoke out unanimously against the admission of longer and heavier vehicles. The majority of Transport Ministers also voted against mega truck operations in individual federal states. Despite this decision there are still LHVs driving in the German federal states of Thuringia and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

Excerpt from the interview with Minister Tiefensee:

Pro-Rail Alliance: The EU is sometimes quick with instructions for action. We have the impression that the EU Commission is actively supporting the introduction of mega trucks. What is your opinion on this?

Tiefensee: Trucks with substantially more weight, so-called “gigaliners”, or trucks with overlength, so-called “longliners”: I give a clear no to both of them. I can not see that this is good for Germany or good for Europe. Not least because we would loose shares of combined transport. Questions of traffic safety are unanswered. I am convinced that we would see a modal shift from the railways back to the road, which means that this solution is also from an environmental perspective not good. I will discuss this issue with my European colleagues. The discussion in Germany is over: the majority of the Transport Ministers of the federal states have spoken out against the gigaliner.

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