Across the European Union, over many years, governments have introduced a variety of rules on driving bans for heavy commercial traffic. These bans confuse road freight operators working internationally and can leave vehicles and drivers stranded at borders.

Why are there lorry bans?

National restrictions on the movement of hgvs during weekends and public holidays are justified by several arguments, such as the need for good traffic circulation at weekends (thus increasing road safety), environmental protection (smoother traffic = less pollution), the protection of urban areas from the nuisance of lorries, and the need for lorry drivers to take weekend breaks.

Who’s responsible?

EU member states are free to introduce legislation restricting the movement of traffic within their own borders provided that it applies to its own citizens as well as foreigners, without discrimination. In some member states, such as Spain and Germany, authority is also given to regional governments to create their own more local bans. To further complicate the issue, restrictions on lorries carrying dangerous (ADR) goods are frequently imposed over different timescales than those applied to the carriage of general cargo.

As a result driving restrictions are unco-ordinated and confusing. Bans imposed in France and Germany result in lorries parking in Belgium and Luxembourg. A small number of countries impose night-time bans. There may be additional summer and winter restrictions to contend with. But these are not the only factors: there is also the problem of on-the-road interpretation of the rules, with officials sometimes reclassifying goods as perishable; a key point in deciding whether they are covered by the ban, or not. Derogations for each member state are, like the bans themselves, not as clearly defined as they might be.

The economic effects

FTA believes that supply chains must operate seven days a week if the UK is to be a significant player in the European market. Its competitive position on the periphery of Europe is hindered by driving restrictions in transit countries, which may result in unproductive waiting times. Transport companies must be able to respond to the demands put upon them by shippers, forwarders and manufacturers. Imposing driving restrictions on hgvs has a negative effect on the efficiency of road transport services.

Bans on commercial transport lead to increased costs at EU level due to the under-utilisation of the road network at the weekend and corresponding additional congestion during the working week

Bans on commercial transport result in reduced services to customers and suppliers when, increasingly, everyone wants products without delay and in every place. They reduce the flexibility for which road freight services are renowned and force vehicles to compete for road space at busy periods, reducing efficiency (the number of deliveries and collections made per driver’s shift) and increasing fuel costs.

On the environment

FTA believes there is no need for driving bans for hgvs which are increasingly meeting ever higher standards of engine emissions. It takes 18 Euro 4 trucks to produce the same quantity of particulates as one Euro 1 vehicle made in 1993 (source FTA).

On road safety

For many years a variety of industrial sectors have adopted the just-in-time manufacturing principle with the result that many professional drivers are used to working every day of the week at some time or another. Lorries are only involved in 5 – 10 per cent of all European road accidents (source IRU) and motorway infrastructure, which is the main infrastructure used by goods vehicles in international transport, has an excellent safety record.

The social dimension

Making working time more flexible continues to be a policy encouraged by the European authorities. The existence of driving bans, ensuring that rest periods are mostly taken at weekends, could arguably be said to be diametrically opposed to this policy and hinder international drivers enjoying rest time with their families. In any case, the existence of Regulation 561/2006 on driving and rest times provides an adequate weekly rest period and compliance with that regulation should be promoted, rather than the creation of more confusing national driving bans specifically on Saturdays and Sundays.

Click here for France - Driving Restrictions 2008

Driving restrictions 2009

Weekend and public holiday driving restrictions for the EU 27 and Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Gibraltar, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Russia, Turkey and the Ukraine will be found in the FTA’s International Road Transport Guide, one copy of which is issued free to all international group members.