Mega truck journeys in German Länder illegal

17 August 2009. The German Federal Government believes that the states of Thuringia and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are acting illegally in allowing the regular deployment of the over-sized heavy goods vehicles on their roads until the end of the year. That is the view of an as yet unpublished answer by the Government to a parliamentary question put by the Green Party faction. In comments in Berlin on Thursday, the managing director of the Pro-Rail Alliance, Dirk Flege, called on both states to “immediately accept the consequences of the very clear legal position and to no longer endanger the public and the environment by allowing the use of mega trucks.”

The Federal Government has “come out against the deployment of the so-called Euro-Combis on Germany’s roads particularly for legal and transport-policy reasons (...)”, was how it was put in an answer that was sent to the president of the Federal Parliament. The Pro-Rail Alliance has a copy in its possession. Irrespective of the illegality of the pilot projects that have been going on for months in both states, the Federal Government believes that the use of longer and heavier vehicles will have dramatic negative consequences for taxpayers, other road users and rail freight transport. “Severe consequences from accidents” are to be expected, taxpayers will have to pay the “additional 4 – 8 billion euros” necessary for strengthening bridges on motorways. In addition, “allowing longer or heavier trucks (...) will shift traffic from the railways to the roads”.

The Federal Government has certified that the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, which allows mega trucks connections with Sweden, is acting illegally on two counts. The government’s legal objections relate “also to the mega trucks’ cross-border deployment”. This brings the Federal Government into line with the legal view of the European Commission. In March, Antonio Tajani, the EU’s transport commissioner, stated in an interview with “NO MEGA TRUCKS”: “The idea of bilateral agreements between Member States on such a question contradicts the idea of the Single Market and raises also questions about a possible distortion of competition”

“Meckelburg’s transport minister Schlotmann has been given a double dressing-down by his SPD party colleague Tiefensee,” said the Pro-Rail Alliance’s managing director Flege in comments on the statements made by the Federal Transport Ministry on behalf of the Federal Government. Additionally, the number of journeys and the type of routes that the so-called Gigaliners are allowed to use was described as “alarming”. “To-date, it was assumed that three routes were allowed. Instead, these monsters are being used on a total of twelve routes. And many of the destinations allowed are not even reachable via the Autobahn. The mega trucks are toiling their way through narrow roads in residential areas. That is just irresponsible,” criticised Flege.