16 August 2006
Transport ministry rejects speculation about rise in transit fees

The Belarusian transport ministry has denied reports about a rise in transit fees collected from foreign-registered vehicles that have allegedly prompted many transport companies to reroute their Russian-bound trucks from Belarus to Latvia.

Russia's Federal Customs Service reported on Tuesday that trucks had formed kilometers-long lines at Russia's Latvian border, explaining that many companies had diverted traffic to Latvia after Minsk had raised transit fees and introduced stiffer control rules.

When reached by BelaPAN, representatives of the transport ministry flatly denied the reports, saying that the country's transit fees had remained at the same level for several years. The rate off fees collected from trucks at Belarus' only toll highway, the M1/E30 Brest-Minsk-Russian border road, has not changed either, according to a source with the ministry's road construction and maintenance department (Belavtodor).