15-kilometre queue at Belarusian-Polish border

Polish customs officers let only 40 cars pass during three hours at “Kazlovichy” check-point. It is 5 times fewer that usual.

Polish customs officers have not started their work at check-points”Warsaw Bridge” and “Damachava” this morning. The other check-points have only one customs officer on duty. They demand to improve their working conditions and to raise their salaries. According to the senior officer on public relations of the check-point “Damachava” Dzmitry Dzevyatau, only one customs officer was left at every blocked checkpoint at 11 a.m. They only let pass cars that do not need registration. Registration is very slow and boring, so the queue at “Kazlovichy” check-point has already become 15 kilometers long.

Dzmіtry Dzevyatau: The registration has become getting quicker, step by step. The check-point used to be able to serve about one hundred cars during this time. However, only 25 cars have managed to enter Belarus and 15 cars have left the country so far.


Dzmіtry Dzevyatau told ERB that the strike began in the morning so no crazy traffic-jams have appeared. But he also noted that the queue at “Kazlovichy” check-point reached 15 kilometers.

Dzmіtry Dzevyatau: According to drivers, the queue of cars wishing to enter the Republic of Belarus has become 15 kilometers long.

A member of the press-service of the State Border Committee Ihar Shchatsinin told ERB that Polish customs officers had already started working and were letting cars pass slowly. Those were mostly sightseeing buses.

Іgar Shchatsіnіn: The condition is getting a bit better but the check-point is not working according to its usual schedule. 130 cars are waiting at one check-point.

ERB decided to find out whether the strike of Polish customs officers affected the schedule of trains. We phoned the head of the passenger service of the Belarusian railway Yury Radzko. He assured that they did not have any problems and did not expect any.

ERB: Are trains following the schedule or not?
Yury Radzko: Trains are following the schedule and we have no problems.