2024-05-14T18:16:00+03:00 Economy 2024-09-15T04:25:04+03:00

Ukrainian news

Due to imperfect booking standards, drivers afraid to go on flights on international routes - AsMAP UA

Due to imperfect booking standards, drivers afraid to go on flights on international routes - AsMAP UA

International road haulage may be on the verge of stopping due to imperfect booking norms, as well as due to the entry into force of the law on mobilization from May 18.

It was reported by Ukrinform with reference to Volodymyr Balin, Vice President of the Association of International Road Carriers of Ukraine (AsMAP UA), Ukrainian News Agency reports.

"Recently, we have seen a tendency of reduction of the number of freight transport in the international direction. For example, in the e-queue, despite the season, the number of registrations decreases. Drivers refuse to go on flights, because they are afraid that they will be stopped at checkpoints, and there are already such cases, or, having crossed the border, they abandon vehicles, cargo and do not return to Ukraine. We believe that this may soon lead to a certain collapse not only in the transport industry in Ukraine, but also in the economy as a whole. Therefore, we, together with market participants, appeal to state authorities to create a transparent and understandable booking system, in our case, for international drivers and other our specialists," Balin said at a press conference.

He stressed that the existing booking system does not take into account the specifics of the industry.

In particular, the fact is that the overwhelming number of enterprises are small and medium-sized, many individual entrepreneurs work in it.

While government decree No. 76 on the booking of persons liable for military service during martial law does not regulate the issue of providing armor specifically for individual entrepreneurs.

According to market participants, the transport industry should be considered as critical for the existence of the economy at the level with the agricultural sector, IT and others.

"It is also worth recognizing as critical a number of professions that are scarce for our market, such as drivers of international transportation, electric gas welders, mechanic locksmiths - these are those specialists whose training takes a certain time and without whom more or less large transport  enterprises cannot function," said Balin.

According to him, as of May 6, 18 companies had applied to the Ministry of Communities, Territory and Infrastructure Development, of which only 5 received critical status.

Currently, according to road transportation market participants, somewhere less than 5% of industry employees are booked from mobilization.

"I do not think that more than 10% of companies will be able to receive criticality status in our market. Criteria are too complex to meet. But we need to find a balance with the state in the needs for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, for the economy, in particular for road transport, which since the beginning of the war has provided a huge amount of export-import operations due to the closure of ports, "said Balin.

In addition, the AsMAP UA predicts a complication of the situation from May 18, when the new law on mobilization comes into force.

"Now we receive information that allegedly border guards at checkpoints are already warning drivers that from May 18 without a mark in the accounting documents they will not release them abroad. Today there are no such instructions, but we all understand that from May 18, border guards will have the right to demand these documents from any person. We have not heard that the state plans to take some measures to stop international freight and passenger traffic from May 18 at checkpoints and hope that this position will remain," Balin said.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on May 18, the law on mobilization will come into force.