The dilapidated A1 bridge near Leverkusen has been closed to heavy trucks since 2016. Nevertheless, every year thousands of drivers ignore the ban and accept fines.
Leverkusen/Cologne (dpa/lnw) - The fines for truck drivers who illegally wanted to drive over the Leverkusen A1 Rhine Bridge filled the city coffers of Cologne and Leverkusen again in 2022. According to a spokeswoman, by the end of November Leverkusen had imposed around 6,000 fines totaling almost 1.7 million euros on truck drivers who disobeyed the ban on driving through. The fine in Leverkusen is 228.50 euros.
The city of Cologne has issued fines in a good 1900 cases, which brings a total of almost 200,000 euros, said a spokeswoman. The fine is between 75 and 150 euros.
Another 1,300 cases are still being processed by the city of Cologne or should have been discontinued. "The hearing process is complex," explained the spokeswoman. Since the trucks are registered to companies, the driver must first be identified. In the case of foreign companies, the owner often cannot be identified due to the lack of legal agreements.
The dilapidated Rhine bridge has been closed to trucks over 3.5 tons since 2016. If a driver ignores the ban, a barrier forces him to turn right and the fine is due.
The bridge is to be rebuilt. According to plans by Autobahn GmbH, the first part of the new building should be completed by the end of 2023, so that trucks can then drive across the Rhine again.
