Lorries to be banned from Dubai's Emirates Road during rush hour

Ban from January 1 will apply to section from Al Awir Street to Sharjah, announces Dubai Police and Roads and Transport Authority

The rush-hour ban on lorries on part of Emirates Road is to reduce congestion, said officials. Wam

Lorries will not be allowed to travel on the Emirates Road from 5.30pm to 8pm in the direction from Dubai towards Sharjah, in the new year.

The decision to ban lorries along the road – specifically the section between Al Awir Street and Sharjah – was taken to reduce the level of traffic congestion, said a joint announcement by Dubai Police and the city's Roads and Transport Authority.

“The decision to ban truck movement on Emirates Road towards Sharjah during evening peak hours, starting January 1, 2025, was made following an extensive study of the engineering and technical standards required to balance safety needs with transportation demands,” said Maj Gen Saif Muhair Al Mazrouei, acting assistant commandant for operations affairs at Dubai Police.

“The decision includes restricting truck movement at specific times on Emirates Road, particularly in the evening when traffic volumes are high. The primary objective is to reduce traffic accidents caused by the overlap between trucks and smaller vehicles and to ease congestion on vital roads.”

A study released last month suggested UAE residents were more worried about road safety than the risk of unemployment, serious illness or crime.

There were 121 deaths and 2,607 injuries in Dubai caused by road accidents last year, according to figures released by the Ministry of Interior.