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Brenner traffic jam: Söder in Vienna – Tyrol’s block handling is causing trouble!
Bavaria's Prime Minister Söder meets with Chancellor Stocker in Vienna to discuss Brenner block clearances and transit problems.
Brenner traffic jam: Söder in Vienna – Tyrol’s block handling is causing trouble!
On Wednesday, Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) will be in Vienna to meet with Austria's new Chancellor Christian Stocker (ÖVP). The focus is on a hot topic: the dispute over block handling for trucks at the Brenner Pass. Tyrol has introduced this regulation in recent years and on peak days only allows around 300 trucks per hour to pass over the Inn Valley and Brenner motorways. On the Bavarian side, this often leads to backlogs of up to 70 kilometers on the Inntal motorway T-Online reports that ....
The conflict has been going on for decades and yet there seems to be no solution in sight. Söder is calling for an end to block processing and expects pragmatic approaches, but there have been no concrete proposals so far. Stocker argues that truck metering is necessary until the Brenner Base Tunnel, which Germany is responsible for building, is completed. At the moment, the dosage remains in place as a means of relieving traffic on Tyrolean roads Merkur informs about....
The Italian Conflict
But the disputes are not only limited to Tyrol and Bavaria. The dispute is also affecting the Italian government. Transport Minister Matteo Salvini has taken his country to the EU Commission and accuses Austria of “arrogance”. The Italian government plans to take the case to the European Court of Justice (ECJ), as the block clearances are also causing massive traffic jams on the Italian side - up to 110 kilometers. A first hearing took place on April 8, 2024, with Salvini accusing the EU Commission of inaction Profile describes....
Austria's Transport Minister, Leonore Gewessler, defends the measures as necessary to reduce noise and environmental damage. The Brenner is not only one of the most important connecting routes between Austria, Germany and Italy, but also a focal point for the discussion about the compatibility of local health interests with basic European freedoms. In recent years, around 14.3 million vehicles, including 2.4 million trucks, have passed the Brenner Pass. Many truck drivers take detours in order to benefit from cheaper tolls, which further fuels the problem Merkur adds....
Outlook for the future
A possible solution could be a slot system that would allow trucks to book time slots for passage through the Brenner. This would help to better manage traffic and reduce the burden on residents. However, such a state treaty would be necessary, and the federal government is skeptical about digital solutions T-Online refers to....
As negotiations continue, it is clear that a quick and effective solution is needed to relieve pressure on transport routes while addressing the region's environmental pressures. A challenge that will keep Bavaria, Tyrol and Italy busy in the coming months.