The German Ministry of Transport has made a pact with industry associations about freight transport. According to the agreement, Germany retires from the loosening of cabotage regulations.
With immediate effect, the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) withdraws the relaxation of the rules governing cabotage, which was to apply until 30 September this year. This loosening only applied to the transportation of food, medicine and fuels. However, it met with a wave of criticism from German carriers, although it was one of the transport organizations that appealed to the government to introduce these exceptions.
The decision of the Minister of Transport Andreas Scheuer (pictured) was also criticized by Christian Jung from the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, who was concerned about the situation of domestic transport companies.
The suspended decree was to help the German industry (transportation – editor’s note), ” Andreas Scheuer said at a press conference in Berlin yesterday.
The minister pointed to the capacity of German transport companies that will be available because production in some industries has stopped. Carriers who operated in the currently closed plants could be able to deliver the most necessary goods during the pandemic crisis.
?„Wir haben einen #Gütertransportpakt für #Deutschland geschlossen, der Versorgungssicherheit garantieren soll.“ BM @AndiScheuer
Wir brauchen jetzt Solidarität & Flexibilität. Deshalb haben wir mit @BVamoe @biek_ev @bgl_logistik @BwvlBonn @DSLV_Berlin 3 Punkte vereinbart:
? pic.twitter.com/n0IIkTXliD— BMVI (@BMVI) March 26, 2020
The ministry, which concluded a pact for freight transport with industry associations AMÖ, BGL, BIEK, BWVL and DSLV, wanted to ensure supply chain security during the coronavirus pandemic. But cabotage measures intended to protect German transport companies from foreign competitors.
The associations have committed to providing adequate capacity in all areas of the country, even during weekends. „We will work together to ensure that companies that do not receive orders now can operate in other segments,” says prof. Dr. Dirk Engelhardt, spokesman for the board of the Federal Association for Freight Transport Logistics and Utilization (BGL). „This is the most important goal,” he added.
We still work closely with associations to analyze the results of the logistics industry and market development. If necessary, we can quickly take action to ensure supply, „emphasizes BMVI.
Photo: Twitter.com/ArtDalvik