Increase in Freight by Sea Increases Demand for Road

The container shortage in maritime transport and the increase in freight it brought along increased the demand for road transport. Containers could not keep up with the increasing demand with the decrease of the pandemic restrictions, and the ships going to the West from Asia could not return for different reasons. As a result, the increase in container shipping costs has exceeded 300 percent.

Emre Eldener, Chairman of UTIKAD; He stated that due to the increase in freight in export shipments to Europe in maritime container transportation, the demands for European container transportation are directed to the road and the land transportation demands are increasing, and he underlined the measures to be taken regarding the issue.

UTIKAD President Emre Eldener stated that the density at the European border gates will increase even more after the feast due to the increase in the demand for highways and that the waiting times at the gates are expected to be prolonged; "In order to meet this density and reduce the wait, it is necessary to change the shifts of the Turkish and other customs officers at the border gates at the same time," he said.

Eldener; “According to the data of 2021 (January-June) published by the TR Ministry of Commerce, it is possible to reach the number of vehicles engaged in freight transport for commercial purposes. In January-June 2021, the number of vehicles entering and exiting from the Kapıkule Border Gate for commercial purposes was recorded as 354.610. Again for the same period, the number of vehicle entries and exits for the Hamzabeyli Border Gate was determined as 144.321, and for the Ipsala Border Gate, this number was determined as 68.479”.

Eldener emphasized that the number of civil servants on the Bulgarian side should be increased especially for Kapıkule and Hamzabeyli; “We expect the Turkish state and our Ministry officials to take urgent measures with other neighboring states to take these measures. Increasing our export capacity in road transport, which is an alternative to the increased freight in seaway, will be a lifeline for exporters by taking the measures we have mentioned.