President of Gruzavtotrans proposed to ban all freight transport from Europe in Russia

Deputies of the State Duma at a meeting on May 23 unanimously adopted an appeal to the government of the Russian Federation to ban the passage of trucks from Poland through the territory of our country. As well as depriving them of the opportunity to refuel at Russian prices, setting the cost of fuel for Polish carriers at the level of EU prices. We asked the President of the National Association of Freight Road Transport “Gruzavtotrans” Vladimir Matyagin to comment on this initiative.

— A very correct initiative, — says Vladimir Matyagin. – In my opinion, it is necessary not only to ban Polish trucks from driving on the territory of Russia, but also to all freight transport from Europe. Sanctions and restrictions were imposed against us, and Russian carriers were banned from traveling across Europe. But Russia has made concessions on the delivery of certain types of goods. The list of the Ministry of Industry and Trade includes more than 50 goods that trucks from Europe transport directly to Russia without reloading them at the border.

Vladimir Vasilyevich recalls that they have considered: it is impossible to stand idle for transport with perishable goods – meat, dairy products, vegetables, fruits, confectionery. What is the need to deliver medicines to the consumer as soon as possible.

– But tobacco and alcohol were also included in this list. In my opinion, it’s just the big manufacturers lobbied their interests. I think this is wrong. Our carriers have been blocked from entering Europe, and we allow their drivers to work with us in peace. Everything should be based on parity.

Vladimir Matyagin says: back in April last year, when restrictions were introduced for Russian carriers, their Association of Road Freight Transport wrote letters to both the president and the government of Russia.

— We proposed that all foreign carriers, without exception, transfer their cargoes to our drivers at customs terminals for passage through the territory of Russia. So that there are no concessions. And only now they decided to punish Poland, they remembered both the Russophobic policy and the demolition of monuments to our soldiers and officers.

Vladimir Vasilyevich recalls that it takes 15-20 minutes to rehook a semi-trailer, a container can be rearranged in 30 minutes, and it takes two hours to reload a standard 24 pallets of goods.

Transshipment and reloading is carried out in customs terminal complexes in the Kaliningrad, Leningrad, Murmansk, Pskov regions, as well as in St. Petersburg and the Republic of Karelia.

— Do many trucks from Poland travel on our roads?

“There are not so many of them now, but they continue to deliver a number of products and goods that are not subject to restrictions. They travel all over Russia to the Far East. But, again, there is an agreement between Russian and Polish companies – 10 thousand of our trucks enter their territory, the same number of Polish trucks enter Russia. But now they don’t let us in, but they were left with the opportunity to import goods.

– Have you talked to Polish drivers, are they not afraid to drive in Russia?

– I want to say that drivers are forced people, both from the Polish side and from ours. There are no “graters” and disagreements between Polish and Russian truckers. It happens, of course, that someone “carries”. But basically – all hard workers, everyone wants to work. All these sanctions, all this “turbulence” and strife are not needed by hard workers. Because it affects work, business.

Vladimir Matyagin draws attention: some Belarusian and Russian carriers, in order to work both in Europe and in Russia, registered their companies in Poland.

— The measures taken may affect them to some extent now.

Experts calculated that the costs of the Polish side in the ban on transit from Poland through the territory of Russia could amount to about 8.5 billion euros. About 2,000 transport companies employ more than 20,000 people in these transportations. Many of them may go bankrupt.