Border controls hinder truck traffic

Polish inspections of vehicles entering the country have caused border traffic jams. "On Friday, drivers waited an average of four hours at the Lithuanian border in Budzisko to enter Poland," reports Władysław Żero, president of the Podlasie Carriers Association. He notes that waiting times vary depending on the day of the week and the time of day. This rule also applies to the Polish-German border.

Carriers' reactions and emergency services' announcements – will congestion decrease?

– On Mondays, departures are problematic and trucks stand in long queues, while on Fridays, returns predominate and long queues form, while in the middle of the week the waiting time to cross the border is up to half an hour – estimates Żero.

Wojciech Sieńko, chairman of the Lower Silesian Region of the Association of International Road Carriers, assesses the situation similarly. "After a week of inspections, I estimate that departure times have remained largely unchanged, while returning at the end of the week means a four-hour wait. You can feel the random inspections, but trucks aren't as affected, even though our cars are stranded among a sea of passenger cars. Overall, German inspections are more burdensome than Polish ones, as they hinder entry into Germany, and exports are time-sensitive. When returning, we organize our journeys to account for the time lost in the queue," says Sieńko.

Waiting several hours can ruin a driver's working time, which is limited to nine hours per day. Drivers and carriers who exceed their working time, as recorded on the tachograph, face penalties. Inspectors don't always honor the tachograph printout. The worst traffic jams occurred on the A2 and A4 motorways.

"Referring to the traffic jams we experienced at the end of last week, we noted them in Słubice and Świecko, among other places," notes Border Guard Brigadier General Monika Musielak, commander of the Nadodrzański Border Guard Unit. "We conducted a traffic volume analysis on the A2 motorway. Every Friday, traffic volume entering Poland is approximately 44,000 vehicles per day," he says. He assures that changes to traffic management are planned to alleviate the disruption.

From half an hour to four hours – border waiting timetable

In West Pomerania, inspections are not burdensome. "We're experiencing minimal slowdowns; everything is exiting and entering normally," assures Dariusz Matulewicz, president of the West Pomeranian Road Carriers Association.

The Ministry of Interior and Administration summarized the first week of border controls, which are being conducted by approximately 800 Border Guard officers and 300 police officers. The Border Guard received support from approximately 200 Military Police soldiers and approximately 500 Territorial Defense Forces. Officers checked 107,000 people at 52 border crossings with Germany and 13 with Lithuania.

Deputy Minister of National Defense Cezary Tomczyk emphasized that the Polish Army's involvement allows for the deployment of approximately 10,000 soldiers, including 5,000 on the Polish-Belarusian border and 5,000 on standby for deployment on the Polish-German and Polish-Lithuanian borders. The inspections began on July 7 and will continue until at least August 5.

The mayor of Zgorzelec, Rafał Gronicz, said on TVP Info that this action does not meet the goal (catching immigrants), because in many places the border can be crossed without any control.