The German government has decided to deploy more trucks to ease logistical bottlenecks caused by the drought on the Rhine River.

According to the weekly magazine Der Spiegel on the 7th local time, the western German states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland announced that they will temporarily lift the ban on truck operations on Sundays and public holidays starting this weekend.

The Saarland Ministry of Transport stated, "We will be able to smoothly transport cargo by road that is currently restricted from waterway transport due to low water levels."

Der Spiegel reported that North Rhine-Westphalia, located in the lower Rhine region, also supports lifting the truck operation ban.

Germany's road traffic regulations prohibit trucks weighing 7.5 tons or more from operating on Sundays and public holidays to reduce holiday traffic and prevent accidents and noise damage.

The federal government held a drought countermeasures meeting with the industrial sector the previous day and proposed lifting the truck operation restrictions.

Industrial areas in western Germany located along the Rhine River face the threat of supply chain disruptions as cargo ships have significantly reduced their loading capacities due to recent low water levels.

The drought also threatens the economy of Switzerland, where the Rhine River originates and which has a high reliance on inland water transport.

The daily newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) reported that imports of petroleum products via the Rhine River have virtually halted due to the drought, and retail gasoline prices have risen to their highest level this year.

Landlocked Switzerland brings in about 20 percent of its petroleum product imports and 10 percent of all imports via the Rhine River.

The canton of Fribourg in western Switzerland, home to some 500 Alpine grazing pastures, has declared a water shortage emergency and requested support from the federal government.

The Swiss Air Force has been deploying helicopters since late last month to supply water to cows and sheep.

The military plans to supply 200,000 liters of water to the pastures over a 10-day period ending this weekend.

Christophe Bifrare, head of civil defense in the canton of Fribourg, said, "This year's drought is comparable to those of 1976 and 2003," adding, "If additional water is not supplied, the situation for Alpine livestock farming could quickly become critical."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)