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UnkategorisiertMai 6, 20220 comments

Germany: exceptions to the HGV driving ban due to floods have been prolonged

The following German lands have prolonged a general exception from the driving ban on Sundays and public holidays (SoFv) and the Saturday driving ban set out in the Vacation Travel Ordinance (FerReiseV)
Exceptions apply to transports that are directly or indirectly related to the provision of assistance and elimination of the effects of damage caused by floods, as well as empty journeys directly related to these transports.

• Baden-Württemberg (until November 28 inclusive),
• Bavaria (until November 28 inclusive),
• Brandenburg (until November 28 inclusive),
• Hesse (until November 28 inclusive),
• Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (until November 30 inclusive),
• Lower Saxony (up to and including August 31),
• North Rhine-Westphalia (up to and including August 31)
• Rhineland-Palatinate (up to and including November 28).
• Saarland (until November 28 inclusive),

In Bremen and Hamburg, the above-mentioned driving bans will not be enforced until further notice.

Relaxations of the rules concerning driving and rest periods remain unchanged, i.e. they are in effect until September 30 this year.
The following relaxations have been introduced:
• the daily driving time may be extended to a maximum of 10 hours five times a week at the most
• the weekly driving time must not exceed 59 hours
• A driver can take two consecutive reduced weekly rest periods, provided that at least four weekly rest periods are taken in four consecutive weeks, of at least two must be regular weekly rest periods. Any reduction in the weekly rest period must be compensated for by an equivalent rest period, which must be taken without interruption before the end of the third week following the week in question. If two reduced weekly rest periods have been taken one after the other, the next rest period – to compensate for these two reduced weekly rest periods – must be taken before the following weekly rest period.

BAG