Poland: Truck driving ban for the summer
In order to cope with road traffic - in view of the expected increase during the upcoming summer holidays - the country has decided to impose driving bans on trucks over 16 tonnes again this year. From Friday to Sunday, as well as on public holidays, freight traffic will only be able to continue undisturbed during certain time windows.
Those who think of seasonal driving bans for heavy goods traffic often think of the traffic restrictions for trucks in Tyrol and the rest of Austria, for example - as well as in northern Italy. But other countries, too, which are located on important traffic axes on the continent and have heavy commercial traffic, often have to resort to such measures in the warm months to additionally regulate traffic. As in previous years, Poland will impose truck driving bans at the beginning of the summer holidays this summer.
These will apply to HGVs with a gross weight over 12 tonnes on Fridays from 6pm to 10pm, Saturdays from 8am to 2pm and Sundays from 8am to 10pm. On 15 August, which is a public holiday in Poland, the ban applies to trucks between 8 am and 10 pm. However, some exceptions are foreseen, for example for Polish hauliers returning from an assignment abroad. Trucks participating in humanitarian or medical operations or transporting perishable goods are also not affected by the driving ban.
With the driving bans, the country wants to cope with the largest waves of departing and returning holidaymakers and not put additional strain on the traffic situation on the roads due to heavy goods traffic in the summer. In fact, summer holiday traffic in Poland increases sharply every year from the end of June to mid-August and gradually decreases again from the end of August. However, Poland also has driving bans outside the summer holidays, but only on Sundays and public holidays from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. - and on selected public holidays from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on the evening before.
However, there are no environmental zones in Poland yet. However, two low emission zones are to be set up in Krakow and Warsaw from mid-2024 in order to reduce pollution. As always, all information on this - as well as on all existing low emission zones in Europe - is available on our website and in the Green Zones app.