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New Great Decision: Lebanon is Banning Big Trucks During Peak Weekend Hours
If you are planning a weekend escape to the mountains or a drive down to the beach, your commute is about to get a little smoother. The Ministry of Interior and Municipalities has issued Decision No. 791, signed by Minister Ahmad Al-Hajjar, aimed at clearing up Lebanon’s notorious traffic by banning large trucks from roads and major highways during peak weekend hours.
This is a highly practical update for anyone who has ever been stuck behind a slow-moving trailer on the coastal highway or narrow mountain roads. Here is how the new rules work.
The Peak-Hour Blackout Windows
Any truck with a gross weight exceeding 7.5 tons is officially prohibited from driving on all international, main, and secondary roads across Lebanon during these specific times:
- Fridays: From 2:00 PM until 12:00 AM.
- Sundays: From 3:00 PM until 12:00 AM.
These windows are strategically chosen to cover the exact hours when commuters are rushing out of Beirut for the weekend or heading back into the city on Sunday night.
Who is Exempt?
To prevent supply chain disruptions, the ministry has excluded essential service and supply vehicles from this ban. You will still see the following vehicles on the road during the restricted hours:
– Military, fire, ambulance, and civil defense vehicles.
– Fuel, gas, and drinking water tankers.
– Trucks transporting livestock, grain, wheat, barley, corn, and flour.
– Refrigerated trucks and containers carrying fresh produce, meats, or pharmaceuticals.
– Liquid concrete mixers, concrete pumps, and asphalt trucks.
Local Delivery Rules and Rest Stops
To keep urban centers moving, regional governors now have the authority to set localized timing restrictions for commercial deliveries and garbage collection. This is particularly targeted at congested city streets and areas surrounding schools, universities, and hospitals.
Additionally, local municipalities are tasked with designating and managing specific parking areas where truck drivers can rest and wait safely until the weekend ban hours expire.
A Crackdown on Highway Safety
The decree goes beyond scheduling by introducing strict enforcement rules for trucks when they are allowed on the road. Under the new directive, truck drivers must:
– Stick strictly to the right-most lane, with overtaking completely banned except in extreme emergencies.
– Adhere strictly to legal speed limits and vehicle weight capacities.
– Ensure that any open truck beds carrying loose materials like sand or gravel are securely covered.
Security forces can still allow trucks through during restricted hours if coordinated with the General Directorate’s operations room and it doesn’t compromise public safety.
This regulation is a major step toward reclaiming weekend travel from highway gridlock. Keep these new timings in mind when planning your Friday departures and Sunday returns.
