In a move which will seriously affect the heavy trucks market, any large commercial vehicle, including tractor heads and road-going machinery such as backhoe loaders will be prohibited from being registered if the machine is more than seven years old.
The date for the ban on registering imported heavy vehicles across the country will be the first of January 2009.
No reason has been given for the ban, though the Emirates are trying to reduce pollution from vehicles that pre-date the emission Euro III standard.
Truck dealers across the country are devastated by the news. “What will I do with my unsold stock?” complained Yazan of Rein Trading, an importer in Al Air. He added “There are more than fifty dealers in Sarah who have huge stocks. Some of them are in tears – (the authorities) need to tell us what to do.”
Older models imported from Europe have remained popular across the region, for reasons that have little to do with price. Notably, examples of Mercedes 18 and 25-series models have remained popular years after they were replaced by the Actors.
“Customers here want manual gearboxes and non-computerised management systems” explained Yazan.
Another Emirates-wide ban on registering light trucks and cars older than twenty years will come into force from the first day of next month. From “Traffic departments across the emirates will stop registering or renewing licences on vehicles older than 20 years as of 1 December 2008,” said Col Gait Al Saab, head of the traffic department at the Ministry of Interior. The maximum age falls to fifteen years from the same date the following year. It will also be impossible to register an imported light truck more than five years old.
Owners of petrol-engine vehicles will also be subjected to mandatory emissions tests, similar to those in Europe. Tests will include checking carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide and hydrocarbon levels. In most countries, the test is slightly different for diesel engines, though the exact strategy on this has yet to be announced.
People fond of their jalopies can take comfort in that a ‘special provision’ will be made for classic or historic vehicles. However, as of this date none of the emirates have announced what constitutes a ‘classic’, or how a vehicle might be registered