In April, 2017 it is planned to impose restrictions on the heavy truck transport on the federal roads in Russia. These measures shall be introduced to preserve the roadbed from premature destruction during the periods of unfavorable climatic conditions.

Spring traffic restriction on the motor roads shall be carried out by setting the values of the maximum permissible axle load of the vehicle that is below the standard values. At the moment, this draft order is being approved, in accordance with the provisions of Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No.1318 dated December 17, 2012.

The spring restriction shall be valid from April 1, 2017 to June 24, 2017, depending on the region of the country.

The draft order in the part of the summer traffic restriction on motor roads shall apply only to heavy vehicles that are operated during daytime on the federal asphalt roads, at temperatures above 32°C. If the daytime air temperature exceeds 32°C, the heavy vehicles can be used on the federal asphalt roads only from 10:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m.

The summer traffic restriction shall be valid from May 20, 2017 to August 31, 2017.

The permissible axle load values are determined by the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No.272.

The spring and summer traffic restriction shall not apply to the carriage of goods, the delivery of which is necessary for sustainment of the regions.

 

This list of goods and vehicles is regulated by the Order of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation No.211 dated August 12, 2011 (paragraphs 20, 24).

 

Temporary traffic limitation in the spring period shall not apply to the following:

• international cargo transportation;
• passenger transportation by buses, including international transportation;
• transportation of food, animals, medicines, fuel, seed stock, fertilizers, soil and mail;
• transportation of cargoes in the case of disaster clean-up operations;
• transportation of road construction and production machinery, as well as materials for the road repair.

 

Temporary traffic restrictions in the summer period shall not apply to the following:

• passenger transportation by buses, including international transportation;
• transportation of cargoes in the case of disaster clean-up operations;
• transportation of road construction and production machinery, as well as materials for the road repair.

 

The draft order of the Federal Road Transport Agency relating to the spring and summer restrictions.

 

The businessmen go against the permissible axle load

Public organization "Business Russia" sent a letter asking the Federal Road Transport Agency to increase the permissible axle load value for the cargo transport during the spring snowbreak.

In 2017 the Federal Road Transport Agency proposed to limit the load as follows:

• 6 tons for the single-axle vehicles;
• 5 tons - for two-axle bodyworks;
• 4 tons - for three-axle bodyworks.

Authors of the letter propose to increase the maximum load per axle (up to seven, six and five tons, respectively), by referring to the standards as too severe and strict.

As stated in the appeal, if the values offered by the Federal Road Transport Agency will be introduced, the losses "in the entire country could be tens of billions rubles". Manufacturers of the industrial commodities "will be forced to use no more than 30% of the nominal capacity", the authors emphasize in the letters. "On average, instead of one ten-ton truck, you might need seven or ten light commercial trucks". Authors of the appeal believe that it will lead to deterioration of the economic, environmental and transport situation in the entire country, "due to the use of the increased number of vehicles, increase of loads on the roadway, increase in the rates for the transportation of industrial goods, and, consequently, to the significant increase in selling prices for the finished products (at least in double price)".