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Slow going in Asia, says IRU study

[ January 23, 2012   //   ]

Some 30% of transport time is lost at borders while ‘unofficial payments’ account for 28% of transport costs, according to preliminary findings of the joint IRU- ECO initiative to monitor international trade by road. The results, unveiled at the 173rd meeting of the Council of Permanent Representatives of the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO), showed that on average, 29.9% of transport time is lost at borders, while 28.3% of transport costs, excluding fuel, are due to ‘unofficial payments’.

Moreover, the barriers reduce the average speed of trucks to just 14.5km/h (9mph) across the ECO region and, said the IRU, clearly confirm the need to urgently implement the key UN trade and international road transport facilitation instruments such as the Harmonisation and TIR Conventions. IRU also called for increased cooperation between ECO transit States, a multilateral transport permit system and provide multi-entry and transit visas for professional commercial drivers.

According to the report, a journey from Turkey via Iran, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to Kazakhstan could take 250 hours and swallow up to US$7,000 in costs.

Launched in June 2011 in Ashgaba, Turkmenistan,ECO aims to analyse data on international cargo deliveries by road transport and to identify the main impediments and barriers. The final report and recommendations will be published in April 2012.