Minister Huovinen: Lines of trucks caused by inefficiency of Russian Customs

Susanna Huovinen

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Minister of Transport and Communications Susanna Huovinen (SDP) believes that Finland has done everything in its power to alleviate the traffic problems on the eastern border. In her opinion, the fundamental reason for the apparently unshakeable backlog of trucks is the inefficiency of the Russian Customs.
      The excessively long lines of heavy goods vehicles queueing in Southeastern Finland to cross over to Russia have been hampering the eastbound traffic, particularly on Highway 7 from Hamina to Vaalimaa.
      While there is no immediate solution in sight for the problem, the Ministry of Transport and Communications intends to propose an additional sum of EUR 2.5 million to be included in next year's budget. The money would be used to widen the narrow road between Hamina and Vaalimaa.
      However, the Finnish haulage companies are not content with the decision. Managing Director Seppo Sainio from Finnish Transport and Logistics SKAL argues that the Russians should build waiting areas for the heavy goods traffic on the eastern side of the border. Furthermore, the access of trucks into Finland should be restricted accordingly, if there is congestion in the eastbound traffic.
     
The Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta wrote on Monday that the reasons for the backlog of trucks are the bad weather and the poor road maintenance in Nuijamaa.
      According to the current Saimaa Canal rental agreement, the maintenance of the road from Lappeenranta over the border belongs to the Finns, but following some problems with permits and visas, Finnish vehicles equipped with snowploughs were not initially allowed to cross the border.
      While the long lines of trucks waiting to cross the southeastern border at the Vaalimaa border station continued on Thursday, the vehicles were no more diverted to other crossing points. According to an earlier decision, the trucks had been rerouted to other border stations on Wednesday, and this had resulted in even worse congestion, particularly in Nuijamaa.
     
Even the Russian trucking companies are annoyed at the situation. They claim that the problem lies on the Finnish side of the border. However, an anonymous representative of a Russian haulage operator commented that the Russian border officials are to be blamed for the long lines of trucks.
      Finland's Minister of Finance Eero Heinäluoma (SDP), deputising for the Prime Minister, is of the opinion that the problems exist on the Russian side of the border. He reported that the Russians have been contacted on all levels, including President Vladimir Putin himself, but "the results have been too slow in coming".
      Goods traffic across the border into Russia has grown almost exponentially in recent years, and the problem of lines of trucks has worsened steadily. Some days ago, a new and unwelcome record was set - a queue stretching 45 kilometres.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Line of trucks at eastern border costs millions of euros a day (9.11.2006)
  Third day of heavy snow paralyses traffic over eastern border (3.11.2006)

Links:
  Finnish Road Adminstration webcam at Imatra

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