Long queues at border-crossings are proving expensive for haulage companies

According to estimates published by daily Rzeczpospolita, transportation companies lose at least zł. 3.4 billion annually because of lengthy queues at the border. Although long queues are becoming a less common phenomenon, customs clearance can often take several hours or much longer. Poor in frastructure, combined with bribery, are a haulage company's nightmare. According to transportation expert Prof. Zdzisław Kordel, there is no up-to-date information on total losses caused by queuing at border-cro ssings. Four years ago, the International Road Transport Union estimated that such losses may even amount to $4 billion per year. "Most top companies order the supply of material for a fixed date and they have to meet de adlines. A delay in the supply may even halt production," claimed Grzegorz J. Bielowicki, president of domestic transportation company, Vos Logistics. (Rzeczpospolita, p. B1) A.Z