HGK Shipping: state neglects inland navigation
Steffen Bauer, CEO of HGK Shipping, part of Häfen und Güterverkehr Köln, has criticised one aspect of the federal ministry of transport’s latest study on transport development: the consistent disregard of inland waterway transport.
Bauer belives that the federal minister of transport, Volker Wissing, underestimates the importance of inland shipping in the efforts to decarbonise freight transport in Germany. While countries like India are receiving advice on how to achieve climate targets for rivers, German politics is neglecting its own inland shipping industry.
Bauer adds that a motor cargo ship with 3,000 t deadweight can replace up to 150 trucks and that a container ship can take over the cargo of up to 500 trucks. He also points out that the use of container ships could help alleviate Germany’s truck driver shortage, which is now estimated at 80,000. (lh)