A total of 7,342 lorries are registered in the «eCherga» system for departure from Ukraine — 2,394 more than the previous day. Vehicles are waiting to cross the border at 38 checkpoints with five neighbouring countries. On some routes, the estimated waiting time is approaching seven days. The Association of International Freight Forwarders of Ukraine attributes the sharp increase in traffic to the blockage of seaports and the re-routing of some cargo to road transport. The relevant ministry, however, denies any direct link to the operation of the maritime corridor.
Briefly about the main points
- There are 7,342 lorries registered in the «eCherga» system.
- Over the past 24 hours, the number of cars has increased by 2,394.
- 6,450 lorries are heading for Poland.
- At the «Yagodin–Dorohusk» border crossing, the waiting time is approaching seven days.
- The AMEU attributes the congestion at the border to the blockade of seaports.
- The «eChergi» figure does not mean that all vehicles are physically queuing at the border crossing points.
Almost all transport has gathered at the border with Poland
The most difficult situation has arisen on the Polish route. The system has recorded 6,450 lorries — approximately 88% of the total number. In just one day, the figure rose by 2,144 vehicles.
The heaviest traffic was recorded at the following border crossing points:
- «Yagodin–Dorohusk» for loaded lorries weighing over 7.5 tonnes — 1,461 vehicles, with a waiting time of approximately 6 days and 23 hours;
- «Yagodin–Dorohusk» for empty vehicles — 1,299 vehicles, over 5 days;
- «Krakivets–Korchova» — 916 lorries, approximately 4 days and 9 hours;
- «Rava-Ruska – Khribenne» – 665 vehicles, over 4 days;
- «Shehyni–Medika» for empty lorries — 522 vehicles, over 5 days;
- «Ugryniv – Dolgobychiv» – 395 vehicles, over four days.
546 lorries have been registered at the border with Slovakia, 328 at the border with Romania, 11 at the border with Moldova, and seven at the border with Hungary. The current traffic situation is published on the official website of «eChergi».
Freight forwarders attribute the queues to the port blockades
The Association of International Freight Forwarders of Ukraine has stated that Russian attacks and the blockade of the ports in the Greater Odesa area are forcing exporters and importers to redirect part of their freight traffic to road transport. This is increasing the pressure on land routes, particularly those heading towards Poland.
Long waiting times make it difficult to plan deliveries, increase costs for hauliers and pose risks to goods with a limited shelf life. A further increase in the number of registrations could put additional strain on border infrastructure.
At the same time, the Ministry of Community, Territorial and Infrastructure Development does not agree with the conclusion that there is a direct link between the situation in the ports and road transport. The ministry noted that the main maritime cargo — in particular, grain and metal products — cannot be fully switched to road transport. The increase in activity is also attributed to the traditional seasonal upturn in August.
What do the 7,342 lorries in «eCherga» actually mean?»
The «eChergi» figure does not mean that all 7,342 lorries are physically queuing one behind the other at the border crossing points. Hauliers register their vehicles in advance, and drivers can wait for their turn at their company’s premises, at home or at a designated waiting area.
Almost seven days is the estimated time it will take for a specific category of vehicle to cross the border at the busiest crossing point, «Yagodin–Dorohusk». This does not necessarily mean that the driver spends the entire time waiting directly at the barrier.
However, the sharp increase in the number of electronic bookings indicates that transport corridors are genuinely overloaded. Unless capacity is increased and maritime routes are stabilised, road transport transit times may remain lengthy.
