Slovak carriers threaten to join blockade of Ukrainian border

The Union of Road Transport Workers of Slovakia (UNAS) threatens to block the border crossing from the Slovakian side for Ukrainian carriers if the European Commission does not return the issuance of commercial permits for transportation within the European Union, reads the letter of UNAS to the Slovak Ministry of Transport.

Carriers are asking the department to start interaction with the EC and to demand that licenses be reissued to Ukrainian carriers.

"Slovak freight transport is on its knees. As you can see, Polish carriers block their borders, because they have the same problem as our carriers," the letter says.

UNAS claims that the Ministry of Transport of the Slovak Republic has been neglecting freight transport for a long time and completely ignoring the problem.

Due to an increase in freight traffic, the traffic of freight transport on the eastern border of Slovakia was restricted overnight on Sunday, November 12, local newspaper Teraz writes. Queues of cars were lined up not only in front of the border crossing Vyšné Nemecké,, but also in the adjacent territories.

Last week, the association of Road Transport Operators of the Slovak Republic (ČESMAD) drew attention to the problems related to the easing of rules and conditions for Ukrainian carriers after the start of the war in Ukraine. Its members also called for the abolition of "visa-free transportation regime" for Ukraine.

The Ministry of Transport of Slovakia agreed that the increase in the number of transportations on the territory of the EU by Ukrainian carriers "negatively affects the economy of the European Union".

They promised that in early December, Slovakia's Minister of Transport will propose to Brussels to review the EC's decision, according to which permits are not required until June 30, 2024.

On November 6, Polish truckers began a strike at the Ukraine-Poland border, calling for an end to the "visa-free" transportation regime for Ukrainian drivers. The strike impacted three major border crossings, according to Ukraine's State Border Service, which reported difficulties processing trucks.

However, Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Zvarych deemed most of the strikers' demands as unrealistic.