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Covid-19: New Austrian border rules block lorry traffic from Italy

New rules introduced on the Austria-Italy frontier have stopped lorry traffic, causing jams on the Italian side of the Brenner motorway, one of Europe's busiest.

Covid-19: New Austrian border rules block lorry traffic from Italy
Photo: Joe Klamar/AFP
Since Sunday, Austria has required goods drivers transiting through Tyrol to register beforehand and to have proof of a negative novel coronavirus test within the previous 48 hours.
 
 
That decision came after Germany decided to close its borders with Tyrol, citing a troubling surge in infections involving the South African mutation of the coronavirus.
 
Tyrol lies between Italy and Germany and its roads are heavily used by cross-continental transit traffic.
 
Tyrol's regional government said in a statement that the closure of the German border threatened to turn Tyrol into “the car park of Europe” and that it had taken measures at the Brenner crossing with Italy in order to prevent this.
 
The new checks have paralysed northbound traffic on Italy's Brenner motorway, used by thousands of lorries travelling every day to Austria and Germany.
 
As of Monday morning, a tailback of 40 kilometres had built up on the Italian side of the Brenner Pass frontier with Austria, according to several Italian media reports.
 
The company that runs the motorway said northbound traffic had slowed to 40-50 vehicles per hour, compared to 300-400 southbound vehicles entering from Austria.
 
Vehicles were being stopped in Verona, more than 200 kilometres south of the border with Austria, to check if they have the right travel documents and spare them from getting stuck near the Alpine border point, where the temperature was around -10 degrees.
 
Italian authorities also set up roadside coronavirus test centres to help northbound drivers continue their journeys, the motorway company said in a statement.
 
Road hauliers' lobby Conftrasporto-Confcommercio complained about the “enormous disruption” and appealed for help from Italy's new Prime Minister Mario Draghi.
 
The head of the association, Paolo Ugge, said Italy should retaliate by imposing swab tests on lorry drivers entering from Austria and Germany, and seek the immediate involvement of European Union authorities in the dispute.

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DRIVING

What types of vehicles can you drive without a licence in Austria?

From e-bikes to moped cars, here's what you are allowed to drive without a license and the rules you should keep in mind.

What types of vehicles can you drive without a licence in Austria?

You do not need a driving license to move around in Austria using your own vehicle – depending on the vehicle, that is.

Here, we list the vehicles that you are allowed to use without having a license.

Electric bicycles and scooters 

Using an electric bike or an electric scooter is a convenient and sporty way to get around if you do not have a driving license.

You can ride an e-bike or an e-scooter alone from the age of 12. Younger children need to be accompanied by an adult (above 16 years old) and wear a helmet.

When it comes to e-bikes and e-scooters, the rated continuous power of the motor cannot exceed 250 watts, and the speed is not allowed to exceed 25 km per hour.

When riding, you are not allowed to have a blood alcohol level higher than 0.8 per mille, and if you want to make a call, it is only allowed if you use a hands-free device.

The vehicles should be used on bicycle paths but can also be taken on the road if there is no cycling path available and the road is not a highway.

Riding on the sidewalk is not allowed, similar to regular bicycles.

Mopeds

According to the law, a moped is a motorbike with an engine capacity of up to 50 cubic centimetres and a maximum design speed of 45 km per hour. 

To drive a moped in Austria, you do not need a driving license, but you need a moped license, which you can obtain when you are 15 years old. You are allowed to start the training two months before your 15th birthday.

The training involves both practical and theoretical tests, and if you pass, you are allowed to ride on the roads with your moped.

Moped cars

Moped cars, also known as light quadricycles, are lightweight four-wheeled vehicles that do not require a driving license to drive.

If you are 15 years old and have a moped license, you can “upgrade” your license by completing six practical hours and obtaining a license also for driving a moped car. Alternatively, you can obtain a license only for driving a moped car.

Mopeds have a maximum speed of 45 km per hour and can weigh up to 425 kg when empty.

Popular brands of moped cars are Aixam, Ligier, Microcar, and Chatenet.

When driving mopeds and moped cars, a blood alcohol limit of 0.1 per mille applies to those under 20 years old. For those older, the limit is 0.5 per mille, as applied to regular cars.

 
 
 
 
 
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Where can you drive mopeds and moped cars?

Mopeds and moped cars can be driven anywhere where a moped is allowed. They are generally permitted on roads where the speed limit does not go beyond 50 km per hour. They can also be used on bicycle paths if not explicitly prohibited.

Roads and motorways are off-limits for mopeds and moped cars, as they do not meet the minimum speed requirement of 60 km per hour for these types of roads.

READ ALSO: What are the rules for electric bikes in Austria?

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