Article 16 of the Saudi Road Transport Law

المادة 16 من نظام النقل العام على الطرق

Article 16 assigns to the Ministry of Communications, in agreement with the Traffic Department, setting the routes allowed for transit transport in large cities where necessary, and prohibits violating those routes.

Official text (Arabic)

This article has not been amended since the law was issued.

تحدد وزارة المواصلات بالاتفاق مع إدارة المرور المسارات المسموح بها في النقل العابر في المدن الكبرى متى كان ذلك ضروريا، ولا يجوز مخالفة ما يحدد من مسارات.

This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers

Article 16 explained in plain English

This article deals with the passage of transport vehicles through large cities (transit transport), and contains two provisions:

First: setting the routes

The competent body is the Ministry of Communications.
The setting is in agreement with the Traffic Department, so the Ministry does not do it alone.
It applies in large cities.
And it is done where necessary, meaning it is not required in every case.

Second: prohibiting violation

Once routes are set, they may not be violated. Anyone carrying out transit transport in a large city where routes have been set must comply with them.

The article does not define large cities or give the routes themselves; these are set by what the Ministry decides with the Traffic Department.

As for the penalty for violation, Article 23 deals with it in general: it provides for punishing anyone who violates the provisions of the Law or its regulations with the penalty set for the violation in the Traffic Law, and if there is none, a fine of not less than SAR 500 and not more than SAR 5,000 for each time, with the possibility of barring the truck, its driver or its owner from working in transporting goods and equipment, or suspending their licenses, for a period not exceeding one year.

Anyone accused of a route violation can consult a lawyer specializing in administrative matters and transport law.

Practical example

A truck driver carries a load from Dammam to Mecca and passes through Riyadh. If the Ministry of Communications, in agreement with the Traffic Department, has set a route for transit transport within Riyadh, he may not take a road other than the set route.

Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.

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