A status update on Ukraine
Last year’s queues at the border between Ukraine and Poland is still fresh in everyone’s memory. How is traffic moving now, and could we be in for more delays and queues this year? Boris Khruslov, Begoma’s Branch Manager in Ukraine, gives a status update.
At the end of last year, the situation at the border between Ukraine and Poland became more and more tense. Road transportations in and out of Ukraine slowed down, with price surges for both transportation and imported/exported goods as a result.
The Polish border contains the main border crossing points for road transportations between Ukraine and the EU. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, more and more Ukrainian companies and carriers started using these border crossing points. The Polish market was subject to increasing competition and in November 2023, protests at the border were started by Polish carriers and farmers.
At the height of the protests, the prices of road transports from Sweden to Ukraine soared to three times the regular price. Queues of trucks were forming at the border and the waiting time at the border crossing points could be up to 4 weeks, depending on the cargo.
The current situation
In March of 2024, the protests eased down, and traffic started to flow. But – how are things moving right now, and could we be in for a potential halt, yet again this coming winter?
– Right now, we are entering the busiest period of the year, and there is no guarantee that the protests will not come back. However, Begoma is well equipped to advise our customers in the region and handle potential hickups in the transportation chains, says Boris Khruslov, Begoma’s Branch Manager in Ukraine.
As of now, during the fall of 2024, one of the five border crossing points are being renovated, and passing the border between Poland and Ukraine usually takes one day. No major queues at the crossing points are being reported.
If protests flare up again and cause major queues, Boris Khruslov emphasizes that the relations between Begoma and our customers are the highest priority.
– To be frank, if trucks are forced to stop at the border – there is little we can do. However, we stick to our commitments and will do everything in our power to ensure that our customers suffer as little as possible. We keep them updated and will let them know if any situation might arise that could affect their logistics and transportation solutions, to and from Ukraine.
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