IRU, the world road transport organisation, has written to German Chancellor Angela Merkel today on the chaos spreading across Europe¡¯s goods transport network due to her government¡¯s new border restrictions on truck drivers.
Germany¡¯s refusal to exempt professional truck drivers from mandatory COVID-19 testing breaks its previous commitments on EU ¡°green lanes¡± and the free movement of goods, and moreover does not help curb the virus.
With other countries and regions copying Germany¡¯s restrictions to prevent thousands of drivers being stuck on their own territory, a chain reaction is building across Europe, bringing supply chains to a halt.
¡°Truck drivers, alone in their cabin and working to strict hygiene measures, pose little risk to the spread of the virus,¡± said ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Secretary General Umberto de Pretto. ¡°Making them queue for hours in sub-zero temperatures at makeshift test centres on the side of the road without proper physical distance control however is not only pointless, it is dangerous.¡±
Germany¡¯s unilateral decision is blocking the free movement of goods, affecting supply chains across the EU. Supermarkets, hospitals and factories will soon see supply issues across Europe and beyond.
¡°Germany was long an anchor for free trade across Europe¡¯s single market. We implore Chancellor Merkel to recognise the damage that her government¡¯s decision is now causing, especially to her neighbouring countries, and to immediately exempt truck drivers from mandatory COVID-19 testing so they can do their job and keep supply chains moving.¡± added Umberto de Pretto.
¡°Germany¡¯s place should once again be at the heart of a Europe that is united in fighting the pandemic, not causing chaos with short sighted and pointless border restrictions,¡± he concluded.