Republic
Modern trucks keep Belarusian forwarding agencies competitive
MINSK, 21 October (BelTA) – The competitiveness of Belarusian forwarding agencies on the market of international transportation services depends on the timely renewal of the vehicle fleet, BelTA learned from Sergei Dubina, Head of the Automobile and Urban Passenger Transport Office of the Belarusian Transport and Communications Ministry, during the press conference held on 21 October to mark the transport industry’s professional holiday.
Sergei Dubina said that it is particularly important to renew the vehicle fleet by buying vehicles compliant with high environmental standards. In his words, as of 1 October 2015 over 11,200 trucks were used in Belarus for the sake of providing international road transportation services. Of them 60% complied with Euro 4 and Euro 5 emission standards.
The official attributed the current position of Belarusian forwarding agencies on the international transportation market to their professionalism and the modern engineering and manufacturing basis. The fact positively reflects upon Belarus’ image. Sergei Dubina pointed out that the geography of transportation services is expanding, including into Asian countries.
The Belarusian side has signed 55 agreements in the relevant scope of activities with 44 countries. Work continues to sign agreements on international automobile transportation with other countries, which look promising for cargo and passenger transportation, said the official.
Close attention is paid to liberalizing the terms of international road transportation services. In 2014 permits were abolished for all kinds of cargo transportation between Belarus and Switzerland, including to and from third countries. Permits for bilateral transportation, transit transportation, and transportation between the Eurasian Economic Union member states (from and to third countries inside the Union) were abolished in the Eurasian Economic Union as of 1 January 2015. The first stage of liberalization of cabotage transportation inside the Eurasian Economic Union will begin on 1 January 2016.