21 December 2002
Queue at Polish border to build up within days, subside after December 23, customs officials say
Customs officials expect vehicle queue at the Belarusian-Polish border to build up within the next few days and subside after December 23 on Christmas Eve.
The officials noted that traffic usually increases at the end of the year as companies rush to meet their contractual obligations. Some vehicles have to wait in the line up to two days.
Desperate drivers blocked the Minsk-Brest highway in November urging customs officers to speed up traffic. A similar blockage was prevented by police officers in December. Vyacheslav Osintsev, chief of the Zapadny Bug customs service, rejected drivers' accusations of sluggishness against customs officers. "We are working according to the law, as every truck carries $100,000 worth of goods on the
average," he said. Mr. Osintsev also denied allegations that customs officers let too many queue jumpers across the border.
He pointed out that when the line stretches 10 kilometers and longer, trucks are inspected not only at the customs terminal but also at the checkpoint. This helps increase traffic by up to 300 trucks per shift.
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