Monday, Jun 28, 2010

Gulf News

Truck drivers complain of heavy clearance backlog leading to long queues

Abu Dhabi The UAE-Saudi border is still congested with few kilometre-long queue of trucks due to a lengthy customs clearance backlog after a fire at the Al Bat’ha checkpoint in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi authorities temporarily stopped accepting vehicles from the UAE after a fire broke out on Wednesday afternoon at the Al Bat’ha checkpoint, which is about four kilometres away from the UAE’s Al Ghuwaifat checkpoint.

Congestion

A UAE interior ministry official said the trucks are being allowed in since yesterday. But truck drivers at the border told Gulf News yesterday that due to a lengthy clearance backlog they’re still queuing.

“The congestion has eased I believe because they have started clearing vehicles. But the movement is awfully slow since there are too many vehicles in waiting,” said Zubair, a truck driver. “Looking out, I can see a very long stretch of trucks behind me,” he said.

Sathar, another truck driver said he reached the border at 8am yesterday but was only able to reach about seven kilometres away from the UAE checkpoint by 2pm.

According to eyewitness accounts, at least seven trucks were gutted but no one was injured in Wednesday’s fire.

A 25-kilometre queue had build up on Thursday, as Gulf News reported earlier, triggering fresh concerns among drivers about being stranded at the border yet again. The drivers said the UAE Red Crescent Authority distributed food and water to those affected.

Previously in April, 2,000 truck drivers were stranded at the UAE-Saudi Arabia border at Al Ghuwaifat near Al Sila town due to alleged slow customs clearance by Saudi authorities. In June and November last year too truck drivers faced similar grievances.

However, about 10 days ago, a senior Saudi customs official announced that the truck crisis at the border has been resolved.

Obstacles eliminated

All obstacles to the smooth movement of trucks through the border have been eliminated and about 2,000 trucks can now enter Saudi Arabia.

Another 1,500 will leave the border after completing administrative procedures which are now taking place on a daily basis, Daif Allah Al Otaibi, Director General of the Customs Department at Al Bat’ha checkpoint told Gulf News.

abu dhabi

By Rayeesa Absal?Staff Reporter

Gulf News 2010. All rights reserved.