Large parking areas proposed for eastbound trucks on Russian border

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In order to alleviate the traffic problems caused by the chronic backlog of trucks at the Finnish-Russian border, a number of measures have been proposed. Firstly, the trucks should stay at ports and wait for permission to leave. A so-called remote waiting system should be developed, and traffic should be staggered over several weekdays.
      In addition, the planned remote system would include two waiting areas close to the border, accommodating some 1,000 trucks in Vaalimaa and another 500 in Nuijamaa. From there the trucks would be directed to the border crossing station with the shortest queue.
     
On Monday, a working group on cross-border traffic, chaired by Harri Pursiainen, a senior official at the Ministry of Transport and Communications, discussed the possibilities of removing the border bottlenecks.
      Some of the most drastic measures proposed would include restrictions on incoming traffic, the tightening up of transport permits, and the levying of road usage fees on vehicles.
      The working group proposed further that the operation of the border crossing stations should be upgraded by improving the roads between the Russian and Finnish border stations, as well as by introducing an electronic customs clearance system on the Finnish-Russian border.
      Furthermore, the current problems at the eastern border could be reduced by increasing the safety arrangements and by upgrading the services for truck drivers, including refuse collection and toilet facilities. Litter and refuse have become a sore point with local residents as drivers simply toss items from the cab and use the roadside as a public lavatory.
      Reportedly, the waiting areas could be ready in the summer of 2008 at the earliest.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Russian President promises action on truck queues at border (24.11.2006)
  Departures of trucks from ports to be staggered to avoid backlog (17.11.2006)
  Minister Levitin: Russian Customs partly to blame for lorry backlog (11.9.2006)
  Russia-bound cargo on Finnish roads is growing dramatically (8.2.2006)

Helsingin Sanomat