Legislation Details
- Full Title: Federal Decree by Law Regulating the Weights and Dimensions of Heavy Vehicles
- Law Type: Federal Decree-Law
- Law Number: (12) of 2023
- Issued Date: 04 Sep 2023
- Effective Date: 01 Oct 2023
- Official Gazette: No. 759
- Sector: Energy, Transport and Infrastructure
- Status: Active
- Number of Articles: 24
- Chapters/Parts: 0
- Amendments: 0
Summary
The Federal Decree-Law Regulating the Weights and Dimensions of Heavy Vehicles aims to protect and sustain the UAE's road network infrastructure, enhance traffic safety, and provide a fair and sustainable competitive environment in the transportation market. It applies to all heavy vehicles using roads in the UAE, including foreign-licensed vehicles, but excludes security, military, police, and civil defense vehicles. The law establishes requirements for heavy vehicle operators, such as not exceeding weight and dimension limits, properly distributing and securing loads, and displaying vehicle weight information. It also empowers authorized persons to enforce the law and issue penalties for violations. (Federal Decree by Law Regulating the Weights and Dimensions of Heavy Vehicles, 2023, Art. 1-3, 5)
This legislation is significant for businesses and individuals in the UAE's transport and logistics sectors, as it aims to protect the country's road infrastructure and promote safe and efficient heavy vehicle operations. Compliance with the law's requirements will be crucial for companies operating heavy vehicles, as violations can result in penalties, vehicle seizures, and disruptions to transportation activities. (Federal Decree by Law Regulating the Weights and Dimensions of Heavy Vehicles, 2023, Art. 2, 5-7)
What is the scope and purpose of this law?
The Federal Decree-Law Regulating the Weights and Dimensions of Heavy Vehicles applies to all heavy vehicles using roads in the UAE, including foreign-licensed vehicles, but excludes security, military, police, and civil defense vehicles. The law's objectives are to protect and sustain the UAE's road network infrastructure, enhance traffic safety by reducing excessive loads and their associated risks, and provide a fair and sustainable competitive environment in the transportation market. (Federal Decree by Law Regulating the Weights and Dimensions of Heavy Vehicles, 2023, Art. 2-3)
What are the key definitions under this law?
- State: United Arab Emirates
- Ministry: Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure
- Competent Authority: The Federal or Local Authority Competent to issue vehicle licenses, manage the road network and its components, or manage traffic
- Authorized Person: A member of the police force or a judicial officer concerned with enforcing the monitoring procedures, issuing violations, and related corrective and preventive actions
- Road: Every road open to heavy vehicles, including paved and unpaved roads, public squares, bridges, tunnels, intersections, central islands, public parking lots, and sidewalks
- Heavy Vehicle: Every means of land transportation designed to transport goods whose empty weight exceeds 2.5 tons, excluding vehicles designed to travel on railways
- Owner: The natural or legal person who owns the heavy vehicle
- Operator: The natural or legal person responsible for operating a heavy vehicle, whether the owner or renter of the vehicle
- Driver: The natural person who drives a heavy vehicle
- Load: Goods and commodities, or loads of distinctive descriptions and types
- Axle Weight: The weight of the vehicle by the truck single axle or a set of tandem axles
- Empty Weight of a Heavy Vehicle: The weight of the vehicle using all its axles while it is empty of any load
- Total Weight of the Heavy Vehicle: The weight of the vehicle using all axles of the heavy vehicle, including the weight of the load
- Maximum Gross Vehicle Weight of Heavy Vehicle: The maximum weight of a heavy vehicle when loaded, based on the design approved by the manufacturer or modifier
- Maximum Dimensions of Heavy Vehicles: The maximum length, width and height limits specified in accordance with the Cabinet Resolution
(Federal Decree by Law Regulating the Weights and Dimensions of Heavy Vehicles, 2023, Art. 1)
What are the main obligations and requirements?
The main obligations and requirements under this law for heavy vehicle operators include:
- Not exceeding the total and axial weights and the maximum dimensions specified by Cabinet Resolution (Federal Decree by Law Regulating the Weights and Dimensions of Heavy Vehicles, 2023, Art. 4-5)
- Ensuring the load is properly distributed and fixed on the heavy vehicle (Federal Decree by Law Regulating the Weights and Dimensions of Heavy Vehicles, 2023, Art. 5)
- Establishing effective administrative, training, and operational procedures to ensure weight and dimension limits are not exceeded and loads are properly distributed and stabilized (Federal Decree by Law Regulating the Weights and Dimensions of Heavy Vehicles, 2023, Art. 5)
- Placing a plate on the heavy vehicle to display the details of the empty weight and total weight (Federal Decree by Law Regulating the Weights and Dimensions of Heavy Vehicles, 2023, Art. 5)
- Implementing instructions and guidelines issued by the authorized person (Federal Decree by Law Regulating the Weights and Dimensions of Heavy Vehicles, 2023, Art. 5)
- Complying with any other obligations imposed by the Ministry or Competent Authority (Federal Decree by Law Regulating the Weights and Dimensions of Heavy Vehicles, 2023, Art. 5)
Which authorities or bodies are responsible for enforcement?
The Competent Authority, which is defined as the Federal or Local Authority responsible for issuing vehicle licenses, managing the road network and its components, or managing traffic, is responsible for implementing the provisions of this Decree-Law and the resolutions issued to enforce it on the roads under its jurisdiction. (Federal Decree by Law Regulating the Weights and Dimensions of Heavy Vehicles, 2023, Art. 10)
Additionally, the law empowers authorized persons, who are members of the police force or judicial officers, to enforce the monitoring procedures, issue violations, and take corrective and preventive actions. This includes the ability to suspend or seize a heavy vehicle that exceeds weight limits and poses a danger to the road or its users. (Federal Decree by Law Regulating the Weights and Dimensions of Heavy Vehicles, 2023, Art. 6)
What are the penalties for non-compliance?
The law states that the Cabinet, based on a proposal from the Ministry in coordination with the Competent Authority, shall issue regulations on violations and administrative penalties for acts committed in violation of the provisions of this Decree-Law and the resolutions issued to implement it. The regulations will specify the penalties, the bodies that impose them, and the mechanism for appeal and collection of administrative fines. (Federal Decree by Law Regulating the Weights and Dimensions of Heavy Vehicles, 2023, Art. 7)
When did this law come into effect?
This Federal Decree-Law shall be published in the Official Gazette and shall enter into force as of the First of October 2023. (Federal Decree by Law Regulating the Weights and Dimensions of Heavy Vehicles, 2023, Art. 12)
How does this law interact with other UAE legislation?
This Decree-Law repeals Federal Law No. (8) of 1986 Determining the Axle Load of Vehicles using UAE Roads. It also repeals any provision that conflicts or contradicts the provisions of this Decree-Law. However, the resolutions issued prior to the entry into force of this Decree-Law shall remain in force, as long as they do not conflict with its provisions, until the issuance of new resolutions replacing them in accordance with this Decree-Law. (Federal Decree by Law Regulating the Weights and Dimensions of Heavy Vehicles, 2023, Art. 11)
Source Documents
This article analyses Federal Decree by Law Regulating the Weights and Dimensions of Heavy Vehicles for legal research and educational purposes. For the purpose of interpretation and application, reference must be made to the original Arabic text. In case of conflict, the Arabic text prevails. This does not constitute legal advice.