Union of Car Transporters Aims to Pressure for Termination of EU-Ukraine Contract; Railways Remain Stable

The Presidency of the Union of Motor Carriers of Slovakia (UNAS) has agreed to continue their protest at the Vyšné Nemecké and Uzhhorod border crossings. According to the Union, the protest will continue until further notice. UNAS exclusively answered questions related to the current border blockade for RAILTARGET.

Can you tell us how the renewed protest will proceed?

The continuation of our protest involves closing the entrance to Slovakian territory from Ukraine.

What is the purpose of the protest?

Our goal is to exert pressure to terminate the contract between the EU and Ukraine from either side and to discuss with the Slovak Republic's Ministry of Transport the adoption of conceptual and long-term solutions.

Which carriers are involved in the protest?

Members of UNAS are participating in the protest, and we have been joined by representatives of farmers. Other associations are also reaching out to us.

We previously wrote about this topic here. It was stated on social networks that entry to Slovakia would be blocked only for truck traffic. Passenger transport is not and will not be affected. The UNAS Presidency made this decision after evaluating the information obtained and its impact on the Slovak road transport market. They have joined protests organized by Poland and Hungary.

"We are standing at the border for Slovak transport, for jobs in logistics and transport," explained the Union of Slovak Car Transporters. UNAS has listed seven points outlining their reasons for fighting at the Vyšné Nemecké and Uzhhorod border. Their demands include the immediate termination of the Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine on road freight transport, which they claim has disastrously disrupted trade and executive transport between Slovakia and Ukraine, disadvantaging Slovak carriers.

They seek to introduce transport permits for carriers from Ukraine and to exclude the registration obligation for empty trucks from the EU entering Slovakia from Ukraine in the "e-čarga" application. They also propose introducing a registry for Ukrainian vehicles, similar to the model in the Czech Republic, to simplify the enforcement of fines and provide information about vehicle operations.

Additionally, they aim to develop and publish an analysis of the rights ratio towards Ukraine concerning humanitarian and military aid, and commercial goods. They are advocating for controls on cabotage transport by Ukrainian carriers in Slovakia and addressing issues with minibus and other passenger transport by Ukrainian taxi drivers by introducing transport permits.