by HGV restrictions in Catalonia: obligation to use the right lane and no overtaking
The Catalan Transit Directorate has announced its proposed HGV restrictions, some of which have caused controversy in recent years.
After the abolition of tolls on the AP-7 in September 2021, the Catalan Transit Directorate decided that on Sundays and holidays lorries should keep a speed limit of 80 km/h, only use the right lane and are not allowed to overtake. According to the proposal, on some sections of the AP-7 these restrictions would apply every day.
Proposed HGV restrictions on the AP-7:
• an obligation to use the right lane on the 30km section of the AP-7 between Calafat and Camarles on all days of the week;
• an obligation to use the right lane on the Martorell-Gelida section when the speed limit of 100 km/h is in effect from Friday to Sunday;
• a driving ban on all weekends and other public holidays in July;
• a driving ban when exiting the metropolitan ring and an obligation to use the right lane in the AP-7 section between Martorell and La Roca on Fridays and evenings before holidays;
• a driving ban on Sundays on motorway sections where additional lanes in the opposite direction have been set up and the obligation to use the right lane and keep a speed limit of 80 km/h.
Since lorries are not able to drive on national roads, despite the fact that traffic intensity on these roads has fallen after the abolition of tolls on the AP-7, the proposed measures have been criticised by road haulage associations.
by The Hungarian-Slovak border crossing closed to HGV traffic
On April 17, due to renovation works on the main road No. 13 in Slovakia, the Vámosszabadi-Medvedov border crossing will be closed to lorries with a MAM over 3,5 tons.
Passenger cars and buses will be allowed to cross the border, but HGV traffic will be diverted to Komárom along the main road No. 14 in Hungary.
❗ Trucks in on the Hungarian side of the border will be able to use the following diversion route: road No. 14 -> road No. 813 -> M19 motorway -> M1 motorway – road No. 13. The diversion route will be marked with yellow signs. Lorries can use the section of road No. 14 from the junction with road No. 813 to the border at Vámosszabadi only when their destination point is located in this area.
by Hungary: last-minute nighttime exemption from holiday driving bans
Information that the exemption requested by the Hungarian Road Transport Association (MKFE) would be granted was not published until late last night.
❗ This is another situation when the Ministry of Transport’s decision to suspend the HGV driving ban is announced at the last minute, causing unnecessary confusion.
The exemption applies to HGVs with a GVW over 7.5 tonnes performing in national and international transport between 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM to ensure that there are no interruptions in the delivery of goods.
With night exemptions, the driving ban applies on:
– April 7, (Good Friday) from 06:00 AM to 10:00 PM
– April 9, (Easter Sunday) from 06:00 AM to 10:00 PM
– April 10, (Easter Monday) from 06:00 AM to 10:00 PM
by Austria: HGV driving ban calendar for 2023
The regulation introducing the bans was published on 31 March.
The movement of lorries or articulated vehicles with a maximum permissible total weight of more than 7.5 t and lorries with trailers, where the combined maximum permissible weight of both vehicles exceeds 7.5 t is prohibited
1. along the A 12 motorway in the Inn valley and the A 13 motorway in the Brenner Pass on April 6, from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM, April 7, from 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM, April 8, from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM, April 25, from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM, May 27, from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM and on June 2, from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM if the destination of the journey is located in Italy or in a country that has to be reached via Italy;
2. along the A 12 motorway in the Inn valley and the A 13 motorway in the Brenner Pass on all Saturdays from July 1, up to and including August 26, from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM if the destination of the journey is located in Italy or in a country that has to be reached via Italy; and on April 7 and October 3 from midnight to 10:00 PM and on all Saturdays from July 1 to August 26, between 7:00 AM and 3:00 PM if the destination of the journey is located in Germany or in a country that has to be reached via Germany;
3. on all Saturdays from July 1 up to and including August 26, between 8:00 AM and 3:00 PM outside built-up areas in both directions on the
a) Loferer Straße B 178 from Lofer to Wörgl;
b) Ennstalstraße B 320 starting at road kilometer 4, 500;
c) Seefelder Straße B 177;
d) Fernpassstraße B 179 from Nassereith to Biberwier;
e) Achensee Straße B 181;
4. on all Saturdays from July 1 up to and including August 26, between 8:00 AM and 3:00 PM on the A 4 motorway from the Schwechat junction to the Nickelsdorf state border in both directions, with the exception of terminating and originating traffic to and from the districts of Neusiedl am See, Eisenstadt, Eisenstadt area, Rust, Mattersburg, Bruck an der Leitha, Gänserndorf and Korneuburg.
The following journeys are exempt from the driving bans:
1. Transports of slaughter cattle or livestock, mail items and periodicals, supplies of drinks to tourist areas, urgent deliveries to petrol stations, catering establishments and events or repairs of cooling systems, towing services, roadside assistance, assistance in emergencies, medical care, the use of vehicles by road maintenance companies or to maintain road traffic, in road or rail construction, the use of vehicles by public security services, fire brigades, the use of vehicles for garbage collection, waste disposal, to maintain the operation of water treatment plants or the use of vehicles by companies providing regular services, as well as journeys of vehicles used by travelling carnivals (Section 2 (1) Z 42 KFG 1967), incl. teams of lighting and sound engineers travelling to and from the venue, journeys according to § 42 para. 3a StVO, urgent journeys involving lorries, articulated vehicles or trucks with trailers used by the Austrian armed forces or foreign troops staying in Austria by virtue of the Troop Residence Act, BGBI I No. 57/2001, or humanitarian aid transports performed by recognized organizations;
2. Journeys performed exclusively to transport goods to or from airports (Section 64 of the Aviation Act) or military airfields that are used for civil aviation purposes in accordance with Section 62 (3) of the Aviation Act;
3. Journeys involving combined rail-road freight transport from the consignor to the nearest technically suitable loading station or from the closest technically suitable unloading station to the recipient and back to the next loading station, provided that a fully completed document can be presented showing that the vehicle or its superstructures (swap bodies, containers) are to be transported by rail or have already been transported; this applies mutatis mutandis to combined water-road freight transport;
4. Journeys with destinations in Italy or via Italy if they are made along the A 12 motorway in the Inn valley or the A 13 motorway in the Brenner Pass during the period specified in § 1 Items 1 or 2 and which can be credibly shown to be exempt from driving bans that apply in Italy;
5. Journeys with destinations in Germany or via Germany if they are made along the A 12 motorway in the Inn valley or the A 13 motorway in the Brenner Pas during the period specified in § 1 Items 1 or 2 and which can be credibly shown to be exempt from driving bans that apply in Germany.
The driving bans mentioned in § 1 items 3 and 4 do not apply to empty runs performed until 10 a.m. to the driver’s place of residence, company headquarters, freight terminal, truck yard, the vehicle’s permanent location or the place from which the driver can return using public transport or a company car.
by Catalonia: 7 days with additional restrictions on the AP-7
Additional restrictions for vehicles or combinations of vehicles with a maximum authorised mass of more than 7.5 ton apply on March 31 and on 1, 2, 6, 7, 9 and 10 April.
On Friday, March 31 and on Thursday, April 6, from 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM:
⭕ between KP 126, exit 12B in La Roca del Vallès, Granollers and the connection with the C-60 road, in the municipality of La Roca del Vallés, and KP 172, exit 25 in Martorell and the connection with the A-2 motorway, in the municipality of Martorell, lorries are required to use the right lane and must not overtake other vehicles and drive faster than 80 km/h.
⭕ between KP 172, exit 25 in Martorell and the junction with the A-2, in the municipality of Martorell, and KP 176.6, exit 26 in Gelida and Sant Llorenç d’Hortons, southbound lorries are required to use the right lane and must not overtake other vehicles. On this section of the AP-7, the speed limit for light vehicles is 100 km/h, and for HGVs – 90 km/h.
⭕ on the Terres de l’Ebre section with only two lanes, between KP 257, exit 35 in Vila-seca, Salou, Reus S. and Port Aventura, in the municipality of Vila-seca, and KP 344.8 , the border between Tarragona and Castellón, in the municipality of Ulldecona, southbound lorries are required to use the right lane and must not overtake other vehicles.
On Saturday, April 1 and Friday, April 7, from 09:00 AM to 2:00 PM:
⭕ between KP 172, exit 25 in Martorell and the junction with the A-2, in the municipality of Martorell, and KP 176.6, exit 26 in Gelida y Sant Llorenç d’Hortons, southbound lorries (over 7,5 tons) are required to use the right lane and must not overtake other vehicles. On this section of the AP-7, the speed limit for light vehicles is 100 km/h, and for HGVs – 90 km/h.
On Sunday, 2 and 9 April, and Monday, 10 April, from 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM:
⭕ With the creation of a lane in the opposite direction between KP 8 of the B-23 road, exit 8 at Sant Feliu de Llobregat and Molins de Rei Sud, and KP 213 of the AP-7 motorway, where AP-7 joins AP-2, in the municipality of Banyeres del Penedès, lorries (over 7,5 tons) are required to use the right lane and must not overtake other vehicles and drive faster than 80 km/h.
⭕ For the same reason, due to the planned creation of lanes in the opposite direction on the AP-7 motorway, between KP 111.1, exit 11 at Sant Celoni and Montseny, in the municipality of Sant Celoni, and KP 133.8, exit 13 at Granollers, Montornés del Vallés and Vilanova del Vallés, lorries (over 7,5 tons) are required to use the right lane and must not overtake other vehicles and drive faster than 80 km/h.
⭕ With the creation of a lane in the opposite direction on the C-32 motorway, between KP 114, exit 113 in Canet de Mar, and KP84.5, the junction with B-20 in Montgat, lorries (over 7,5 tons) are required to use the right lane and must not overtake other vehicles and drive faster than 80 km/h.
by Slovakia: an exemption from the HGV driving ban
The Presidium of the Police of the Slovak Republic has granted a general exemption from the HGV driving ban on 7 April, which is a national holiday (Good Friday).
The exemption applies to all heavy goods vehicles traveling on motorways, first class roads and roads with international traffic, arriving in Slovakia from some neighboring countries and heading for destinations (e.g. company headquarters or place of unloading) located within Slovakia.
Please note that no exception has been granted for the holiday on April 10 (Easter Monday), so the HGV driving ban will apply as usual from 00:00 to 10:00 PM on that day.
by 4-day strike in Calais, Dunkirk, Coquelles Terminal and Dover – advice for hauliers
Civil Service industrial action scheduled to take place from 17 Februrary to 7:00 AM on 20 February will impact travellers (passengers and freight) entering the UK via the following ports:
– Port of Calais
– Port of Dunkirk
– Coquelles Channel Tunnel Terminal
– Port of Dover
Hauliers – impact of strike action
Hauliers who are moving goods during the proposed strike action should be prepared for potential disruption and longer queues at ports.
Advice for people entering the UK
Although this strike action targets the above ports, all those who are due to travel into the UK during the proposed industrial action should be prepared to face longer wait times at UK border control
by Tirol: 17 days with limited cross-border HGV traffic in the 2nd half of 2023
According to the restriction schedule for the second half of 2023, there are 17 days when the number of lorries passing through the checkpoint at the Kufstein-Nord border crossing on the A12 Inntal motorway near the will be limited to 300. A total of 41 such days have been planned for 2023.
As in previous years, the days have been chosen to mitigate the high intensity of HGV traffic following public holidays in Austria, Italy and Germany, which is due to holiday driving bans. For the first time the creation of this year’s schedule has been aided by a special traffic simulation model, which was used to predict disruptions to traffic flow on selected days. This approach was particularly helpful in accounting for the renovation work on the A 13 Brenner motorway, which is due to start in the autumn.
Days with restrictions in the second half of 2023:
– July 03 (Monday)
– July 10 (Monday)
– July 17 (Monday)
– July 24 (Monday)
– July 31 (Monday)
– September 29 (Friday)
– October 5 (Thursday)
– October 27 (Friday)
– November 2nd (Thursday)
– November 15 (Wednesday)
– November 16 (Thursday)
– November 22 (Wednesday)
– November 23 (Thursday)
– November 29 (Wednesday)
– November 30 (Thursday)
– November 12 (Monday)
– December 12 (Tuesday).
Remaining dats in the first half of the year
– April 26 (Wednesday)
– April 27 (Thursday)
– May 2nd (Tuesday)
– May 15 (Monday)
– May 16 (Tuesday)
– May 17 (Wednesday)
– May 19 (Friday)
– May 26 (Friday)
– May 27 (Saturday)
– May 30 (Tuesday)
– May 31 (Wednesday)
– June 1st (Thursday)
– June 3 (Saturday)
– June 5 (Monday)
– June 6 (Tuesday)
– June 7th (Wednesday)
– June 9 (Friday).
by The border crossing in Bobrowniki closed from February 10
The information was posted by Mariusz Kamiński, Poland’s Minister of the Interior and Administration, on his on Twitter account.
This decision was motivated by national security interest. The border crossing between Poland and Belarus in Bobrowniki will be closed from 12:00 on Friday, February 10, until further notice.
Earlier, the minister informed that following the resolution adopted by the Polish Parliament regarding the case of Andrzej Poczobut, he has made arrangements for sanctions to be imposed against other persons associated with the Lukashenko regime, who are responsible for repressions against Poles in Belarus.
by The Arlberg Tunnel to be closed for several months
The Arlberg tunnel on the S 16 Arlberg expressway between Tyrol and Vorarlberg will be completely in both directions from April 24 to October 6, 2023 and from April 15 to November 22, 2024.
The following alternative routes are available during the closures:
• Arlberg Pass Road (B 197/L 197)
• A8 Rosenheim-Munich (Germany)
• Gotthard (Switzerland)
• San Bernardino (Switzerland)
Which vehicles are allowed to use the Arlbergpass road (B197/L197)?
➡ The road can be used by cars, station wagons and lorries without trailers as well as cars and station wagons with trailers (including caravans) as long as the trailer does not weigh more than 750 kilograms. In the period from 1 July to 6 October on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, between 9 AM to 5 PM passenger cars and station wagons with trailers over 750 kilograms have to use alternative routes via Germany, the Fernpass or Switzerland.
➡ Lorries with trailers and articulated vehicles are generally not allowed to use the B 197/L 197 when the Arlberg tunnel remains closed (24 April to 06 October 2023) and have to use other diversion routes. The ban does not apply to journeys starting or terminating in the region, as specified in the exception regulations. A special permit for these journeys is not required. At weekends (from 9:00 AM on Saturday, 10:00 PM on Sunday, 10:00) lorries with trailers and articulated vehicles are generally not allowed to use the road.
Exceptions for lorries with trailers and articulated vehicles
These vehicles are allowed to use the B 197/L 197 road provided that the journeys comply with the following exceptions. These apply from 10 PM on Sunday to 9 AM on Saturday as follows:
➡ Journeys starting and originating in areas specified below:
in the districts of Bludenz, Feldkirch or Landeck.
➡ Northwest-Southeast traffic
Trucks with trailers and articulated vehicles can use the B 197/L 197 road when their journey starts or terminates in Vorarlberg, in Liechtenstein, in the districts of Lake Constance, Konstanz, Sigmaringen, Tuttlingen, Schwarzwald-Baar or Rottweil, in the cantons of St. Gallen, Thurgau, Appenzell Innerrhoden , Appenzell Ausserrhoden or Glarus and the provinces of Bozen, Trento or Belluno. This regulation applies to northwest-southeast traffic.
➡ West-east traffic
Trucks with trailers and articulated vehicles can use the B 197/L 197 road when their journey starts or terminates in Vorarlberg, in Liechtenstein, in the districts of Lake Constance, Konstanz, Sigmaringen, Tuttlingen, Schwarzwald-Baar or Rottweil, in the cantons of St. Gallen, Thurgau, Appenzell Innerrhoden , Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Glarus, Schwyz, Zug, Zurich or Schaffhausen, in the following communities/localities in the canton of Graubünden (north of the Chur-Davos line): Ardez, Calfreisen, Castiel, Chur, Conters i. P., Davos, Fanas, Felsberg, Fläsch, Fideris, Flims, Ftan, Furna, Grüsch, Guarda, Haldenstein, Igis, Jenaz, Jenins, Klosters-Serneus, Küblis, Laax, Langwies, Lavin, Lüen, Luzein, Maienfeld, Maladers , Malans, Mastrils, Pagig, Peist, Ramosch, Saas i. P., Samnaun, Says, Schiers, Scuol, Seewis i. P., Sent, St. Antönien, St. Antönien-Ascharina, St. Peter, Susch, Tamins, Tarasp, Trimmis, Trin, Tschlin, Untervaz, Valzeina or Zizers AND in the Tyrolean districts of Landeck, Imst, Innsbruck – Stadt, Innsbruck – Land or Schwaz.
ASFINAG