End of the road for old lorries in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia will ban lorries more than 20 years old from being driven in the kingdom.

Companies running vehicles made in or before 2001 will have three years to comply with the new rules.

They will have to replace at least 10 older lorries with newer ones or a minimum of two lorries a year, the Saudi Press Agency said on Sunday.

The regulations are aimed at improving road safety levels, the Public Transport Authority said. Last month, the authority announced that from May 5, lorries weighing more than 3.5 tonnes that were manufactured more than five years ago would be banned from entering the kingdom.

The vehicles affected include trailers and semi-trailers, the authority said.

The new rules will increase “efficiency and competitiveness” in the field of goods transport and contribute to sustainability goals by reducing carbon emissions and pollution, as well as lowering “the rate of fuel consumption and operating and maintenance costs,” the authority said.

Only lorry owners or their authorised representatives are permitted to drive the vehicles.

The representative must be a Saudi Arabian citizen with a licence to operate the lorry, the authority said.

Also in April, the Transport General Authority signed an initial agreement with the Red Sea Development Company to enhance areas of co-operation, attract investment and improve mobility practices.