UAE’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MoEI) revealed the details of the amendments to the federal law regulating the weights and dimensions of heavy vehicles on UAE roads.
As per the amendments, the permissible maximum weight of heavy vehicles will be set at 65 tons from 2024. They also identify the responsibilities of heavy vehicle operators, whether they own or rent it, and control entities to ensure compliance. The provisions of the law are applicable to heavy vehicles that use the UAE’s roads, including ones that are licensed from other countries and are permitted into the UAE. However, vehicles owned by security, military, police, and civil defense authorities are exempt from the law.
In coordination with the relevant federal and local authorities, 24 smart electronic gates will be installed by the end of 2024 to measure the weights and dimensions of heavy vehicles. Furthermore, MoEI will collaborate with relevant stakeholders to approve decisions specifying the maximum total and axle weight limits and charts of permissible maximum dimensions according to the vehicle classifications and the number of their axles.
The federal law regulating the weights and dimensions of heavy vehicles is expected to reduce traffic fatalities rate by 50% per 100,000 people. Raising the level of road safety is a priority for the UAE, given that studies indicate that deaths by truck crashes amount to 62%. Moreover, the law will cut down the annual road maintenance cost by AED 200 million and will reduce carbon emissions by five billion kgs by 2032.
