Cargo trucks plying across countries belonging to the Economic Cooperation Organization are losing 29.9 per cent of transport time at borders while 28. 3 per cent of transport costs, excluding fuel, go towards “unofficial payments.”

This was revealed in a presentation of mid-term results of the joint IRU-ECO Regular Monitoring of Trucks / NELTI 3, at the 173rd meeting of Council of Permanent Representatives of ECO at Istanbul recently.

These barriers reduce the average speed of trucks down to 14.5 km/h across the ECO region, which dramatically hinders development of trade in and between ECO countries. This loss is ultimately borne by the ECO economies and their citizens.

Such compelling findings confirm the need to urgently implement the key UN trade and international road transport facilitation instruments such as the Harmonization and TIR Conventions, increase cooperation between ECO transit States, introduce an ECO multilateral transport permit system, and provide multi-entry and transit visas for professional commercial drivers.

Launched in June 2011 in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, the ECO-RMT/ NELTI 3 aims to collect and analyse data on the current conditions of international cargo deliveries by road transport in the ECO region to identify the main impediments and non-physical barriers to international road transport. The ECO/IRU final report and recommendations for National Action Plans of the ECO Member States will be published in April 2012.

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