Romania bans heavy trucks on roads during heatwave

Facing an extreme heatwave, the Infotrafic unit of the Romanian Police imposed temporary restrictions on vehicles with a maximum authorised mass over 7.5 tonnes. The ban applied from 12:00 to 20:00 on 29 – 30 June 2026 on national roads, expressways and motorways across 35‑36 counties, including Alba, Brașov, Cluj, Iași, Prahova and others. Exemptions cover passenger transport, live animals, perishable goods, emergency services, funeral and postal vehicles, fuel distribution, refrigerated cargo, tow trucks, water and food aid, municipal cleaning fleets, bottled‑water trucks, agricultural produce, and military convoys.

The measures aim to protect the bituminous road surface from deformation caused by high pavement temperatures and to reduce the risk of traffic accidents. In parallel, railway authorities lowered speed limits on selected sections to as low as 50 km/h to ensure safety on overheated tracks. The restrictions may be lifted, maintained or extended depending on the evolution of the weather forecast.