Government mulling ‘peak hours’ ban of heavy vehicles

All tractors and heavy vehicles will be removed from the roads during peak hours, if a new legal amendment in the Motor Tractors Regulations is to go through.

However, though the proposed amendment intends to make a clean sweep of most heavy vehicles from the roads, it makes allowances for vehicles that trail containers. 

Issued by the Ministry for Transport and Infrastructure together with Transport Malta, the legal notice specifies that, “no motor tractor (including agricultural tractor) and no motor vehicle with trailer” may be used between 7am and 9am, and between 4pm and 6pm on any day except on Saturday, Sunday and national and public holidays.

However, motor vehicles drawing empty trailers or trailers carrying containers, will still be allowed on the roads.

The Commissioner of Police will be empowered to remove any motor tractor or motor vehicle with trailers – except those drawing empty trailers or carrying containers – that hinder the free flow of traffic. Ostensibly a measure to tackle the increasingly dire traffic situation on the island, the move is also set to stoke the ire of employees of logistics and deliveries departments of various industries.