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German transport minister under fire for weekend driving restriction hazard

German Transport Minister Volker Wissing drew in reaction on Friday after threatening to impose weekend driving bans in the summer to abide by the environment defense law, in the latest conflict within Berlin's. ruling coalition over decarbonising.

Greenhouse emissions of Europe's greatest economy was up to the. most affordable level in 70 years in 2023, however the transportation sector has. been consistently stopping working to fulfill its climate targets.

According to the present environment protection law, the. ministry responsible for underperforming sectors need to release an. immediate program to put them back on track.

The transport minister has actually so far resisted presenting such. a program for the sector, saying inbound amendments to the. climate defense law would enable the sector to miss its CO2. cuts target if Germany's overall emissions target is met.

The transportation ministry said reforming the sector is more. tough than other areas of the economy due to the fact that it impacts. individuals's everyday lives which can not be altered quickly.

For months, the federal government coalition of the Social Democrats. ( SPD), Greens and pro-business FDP has actually remained in settlements. about the changes but has not yet reached an arrangement.

In a push to get his coalition partners to quickly approve. the modifications, Wissing stated the ministry would need to impose a. restriction on driving to fulfill the current law requirements if the. changes do not enter force before mid-July.

A matching decrease in traffic performance would only. be possible through restrictive measures that are challenging to. communicate to the population, such as nationwide and indefinite. driving restrictions on Saturdays and Sundays, Wissing wrote in a. letter dated Thursday to coalition parliamentary group leaders.

The letter was heavily criticized by the union partners. and environmental groups as reckless scaremongering at a. time when Germans' cravings for more green policy has actually seemed. suppressed.

The transport ministry stated on Friday the minister's letter. was not a hazard but rather revealing the opinion that the. parliament should measure up to its responsibility and concur upon. the modification.

It is a minister's responsibility to point out the. dangers, a representative for the ministry said.

It is not responsible for a minister to stir up unproven. worries, Green Party parliamentary group leader Katharina Droege. said on Friday, calling on the minister to make reasonable. ideas for more climate defense in the sector.

Social Democrats (SPD) deputy parliamentary group leader. Detlef Mueller said such manoeuvres would not advance the. negotiations in parliament on the new environment defense law.

Scaremongering through unreasonable proposals does not assist. environment security in the transport sector at all, on the. contrary, Mueller stated.

FDP celebration leader and Finance Minister Christian Lindner. supported Wissing's risk.

The climate defense law of the previous government could. quickly lead to driving restrictions! Lindner composed on social media. platform X on Friday.

(source: Reuters)