WARSAW: Polish truckers have reinitiated their blockade of a key Ukrainian border crossing on Monday, resuming a protest that was temporarily suspended for a week.
Since November 6, Polish drivers have been obstructing multiple crossings with Ukraine, calling for the reinstatement of a permit system where Ukrainian firms require permits to operate in the EU and vice versa for European truckers entering Ukraine.
The initial protest affected three crossings but expanded to four. The blockade at the Jahodyn-Dorohusk border crossing was briefly lifted after a local mayor intervened, expressing concerns about potential threats to local jobs.
On Friday, the District Court in Lublin overturned the mayor’s decision that had prohibited the gathering of truckers. This ruling allows carriers to resume their protest from Monday, as reported by the state-run news agency PAP.
Tomasz Borkowski, the leader of the Committee to Protect Transporters and Transport Employers, stated, “Now we are going to let 10 vehicles per hour through.” He mentioned that the protesters had outlined specific demands for the Ukrainian government to fulfill by Wednesday.
If these demands are met, the protest can be suspended; otherwise, the protesters might impose stricter limits on the number of vehicles allowed to cross.
Data from Poland’s Customs office indicated a 68-hour wait at the Dorohusk crossing on Monday, with Ukrainian customs reporting around 2,000 trucks in the queue.
