Germany: a fine of 500 euro for breaking the HGV ban

Plus a two-month driving ban for the driver for failing to observe the traffic ban on the A66 in the direction of Frankfurt.

Last Firday, the police have placed two mobile speed cameras on the bridge over the Salzbach river. The devices are to help enforce the traffic ban introduced at the beginning of June for vehicles with MAM over 7.5 t travelling in the direction of Frankfurt. The ban applies not only to the main lanes in the direction of Frankfurt but also the Wiesbaden-Biebrich entry lane towards Frankfurt.
Past experiences indicate that drivers were ready to pay relative small fines to avoid diversions and be able to complete just-in-time deliveries. Such a purely profit-oriented attitude at the expense of the general public and to the detriment of road safety and road infrastructure should be treated as a gross and persistent violation of the duties of a motor vehicle driver. The national catalogue of road traffic offenses imposes a special sanction for those violating a traffic ban that is clearly signed, also by means of additional measure of traffic organization.
The police remind drivers that from 1st of July, the use of the bridge by vehicles whose MAM exceeds 7.5 t will be punished with a fine of 500 euro and a two-month driving ban for the driver.
In the last few weeks, road signing at the Salzbachtal bridge has been adapted to the local conditions, optimized and extended. A number of signs have been put up before the Schierstein junction with information about the ban and recommended diversion routes. Further on, drivers are informed by signs and LED panels. Additional signs have also been erected around Äppellalle and Biebricher Allee. Information about the ban is broadcast over the radio and in the form of TMC messages to satnav devices.