System for Brenner?

Transit debate took Mattle to the port of Hamburg

Mattle on site at the Port of Hamburg.

(Bild: Fitsch)

Tyrol's Governor Anton Mattle (ÖVP) recently visited the port of Hamburg to get an idea of transit logistics. A "slot system", similar to the one pacted by Tyrol, South Tyrol and Bavaria, has been in place there since 2017. "It works in practice," Mattle is convinced.

"The port in Hamburg handles roughly the same number of trucks as drive over the Brenner Pass. But with a slot system, the port prevents traffic jams and waiting times," said Tyrol's provincial governor after the on-site inspection in the northern German Hanseatic city. Residents, freight forwarders with their truck drivers and the port itself would all benefit from this.

A system with bookable time slots for trucks can also work on the Brenner corridor and bring relief in the form of fewer traffic jams.

LH Anton Mattle

Bild: Fitsch

What works in Hamburg should also be possible elsewhere. In line with this motto, Mattle is convinced: "A system with bookable time slots for trucks can also work on the Brenner corridor and bring relief in the form of less congestion."

Signal to Berlin, Rome and the EU
The visit should also make it clear to Berlin, Rome and the European Commission "that we are serious," said the regional head. In a further step, he now wants to bring together European law experts, the freeway operator Asfinag and traffic experts and mobility planners from the country.

"We need solutions, not lawsuits"
In March, Mattle announced in the Tyrolean state parliament that he would consider Tyrol going it alone when it comes to the "slot system". "When it comes to the transit issue, we need solutions, not lawsuits," said Mattle in the direction of Italy.

It is well known that Tyrol's emergency transit measures are a thorn in the side of its southern neighbor. The truck metering system used on the Brenner route as well as the weekend and night-time driving bans are considered to be contrary to EU law. In May, it was decided that the EU Commission would not initiate infringement proceedings against Austria. In response, Italy's Transport Minister Matteo Salvini immediately made it clear that he would take the matter to the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

Pact for truck slots on the Brenner route
The ongoing issue of transit led to a tripartite summit in Kufstein in spring 2023. Mattle, Bavaria's Minister President Markus Söder (CSU) and South Tyrol's Governor Arno Kompatscher (SVP) met there. The focus was on a "declaration of intent" regarding a joint, digital traffic management system on the Brenner corridor, which includes the so-called truck "slot system".

However, an international treaty between Germany, Austria and Italy is required for such a "slot system" to be set up. And that is probably a long way off ...