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Certain heavily used sections of highway and federal highways in Germany are closed to trucks with a total weight of over 7.5 t and trucks with trailers (without weight limit) during the day on all Saturdays in July and August due to heavy tourist traffic.
In addition to the ban on driving on Sundays and public holidays, there is a ban on truck driving under the Holiday Travel Ordinance to protect vacation travel. This applies to the commercial or paid transport of goods by trucks with a maximum permissible mass of over 7.5 tons and trucks with trailers, as well as the associated empty runs. The driving ban applies on all Saturdays from July 1 to August 31 of each year, from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., on all highways and federal roads listed in the Holiday Travel Ordinance.
During this time, transportation must use the downstream network of federal, state and district roads. Only if these alternative routes cannot be used (e.g. due to a truck driving ban or a ban on the transportation of hazardous goods) or if it is absolutely necessary to use the freeway (e.g. to supply freeway service stations) can an exemption be granted.
However, such exemptions may only be granted if there is a public interest in carrying out the journey during the period of prohibition (e.g. removal of emergencies, supplying the population) or if the refusal of the permit would represent an undue hardship for the applicant and proof is provided that transportation is not possible either by other means of transport or outside the period of prohibition. Economic or competitive reasons alone cannot justify exceptions.
Corresponding evidence must be provided.
The truck driving ban does not apply in particular to
In Germany, trucks with a total mass of over 7.5 tons and trucks with trailers are prohibited from driving on all Sundays and on certain public holidays. Certain transports are legally exempt from the ban.