Lithuania launches electronic queues for Belarus-, Russia-bound trucks

November 14, Pozirk. Trucks leaving the European Union via Lithuania will have to register in advance in an electronic queue starting December 1, the Lithuanian government said, citing a directive adopted yesterday.

Trucks travelling via the Medininkai and Šalčininkai checkpoints at the Lithuanian-Belarusian border and the Kybartai crossing to Russia’s exclave of Kaliningrad will have to reserve their time slots at ltsiena.lt, the Lithuanian state border crossing online booking system (EVIS).

Lithuania’s transport ministry that drafted the directive said the move would help regulate truck queues, ensure public order and significantly reduce the number of trucks waiting to cross the Lithuanian border.

The directive will enter into force before Christmas, when queues usually grow up to 900 heavy vehicles and extend for more than 20 kilometers, the ministry noted.

Last year, Lithuania closed four border crossings at its shared border with Belarus, leaving only Medininkai and Šalčininkai to handle the cross-border traffic. Vilnius cited national security, smuggling and international sanctions as the reasons.

The closure increased processing loads at remaining checkpoints, causing logistical and other issues for carriers and local residents, said Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the National Crisis Management Center.

Pre-registration will facilitate the work of customs officers, ensure more efficient controls and improve processing procedures, according to Lithuania’s chief customs officer Darius Žvironas.

The construction of a new waiting area for up to 550 vehicles will be completed this year near Šalčininkai, the official noted.

The EU countries started closing border checkpoints at their shared borders with Belarus amid tensions with Minsk after the 2020 political crisis in Belarus.

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