After weeks of blockages by Polish truck drivers, Poland and Ukraine will open a border crossing for empty trucks from Monday. The Ukrainian border authority said this on Sunday.
The opening of the Dolhobyczow-uhryniw border crossing for vans entering Poland from Ukraine without freight is “the first of a series of measures that will be put into effect to unblock the border, reduce queues and increase the capacity of the Ukrainian-Polish border increase,” it continued.
So far, the Dolhobyczow-uhryniw intersection is only available for cars and buses. The Polish government initially made no comment on the opening of the Dolhobyczow-uhryniw border crossing – but Polish Deputy Interior Minister Bartosz Grodecki said on Saturday that he had proposed that Ukraine open this “new route”. At least two rounds of negotiations between Kiev, Warsaw and the truckers had previously failed.
“Unfair competition”
Polish transport companies have been blocking several important border crossings with Ukraine since early November. Polish truck drivers are complaining about what they see as “unfair competition” with their Ukrainian colleagues and are demanding the reintroduction of permits for Ukrainian trucks to enter the European Union.
“Dramatic situation”
Ukraine spoke on Friday about a “catastrophic” situation at the border with Poland and a “dramatic situation” for Ukrainian truck drivers. Long lines have formed on both sides of the border. Low temperatures and little food have left some drivers stuck in their vehicles for days.
To contain protests by Polish transport companies and calm drivers, Warsaw announced increased checks on Ukrainian trucks on Wednesday.
The organizers of the Polish border blockade blame the relaxed EU rules for Ukrainian companies on the lack of turnover for transport companies. Following the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the EU suspended a number of border transport requirements.
According to Polish companies, this has led to a whole wave of Ukrainian competitors entering the market. Slovak freight forwarders also began blocking a border crossing with Ukraine on Friday.
Source: Krone
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