Third Ukrainian trucker dies on Polish border
Photo: Wojtek Jargilo /PAP
On December 16, the truck driver standing in line at the Polish-Ukrainian border died in the long-lasting strike started by Polish carriers, says Volodymyr Balin, the vice-president of the Association of International Carriers of Ukraine.
Polish carriers began blocking four crossings with Ukraine in November to protest the EU's liberalization of transit rules for Ukrainian truckers. The blockade resulted in huge lines on both sides of the border, stranding drivers in freezing temperatures.
"The driver was taken away by an ambulance and died on the way to the hospital. I don't know which company he was from," Balin said.
This is the third case of the death of a Ukrainian driver since the beginning of the blockade of the Ukrainian-Polish checkpoints.
On November 11, a 54-year-old truck driver died in a parking lot near the Dorohusk-Yagodyn checkpoint in Poland while waiting to cross the border. Later, another Ukrainian driver died near the Korczowa-Krakowiec checkpoint, where Polish carriers were on strike.
On November 6, Polish carriers went on strike and blocked a number of checkpoints.
The Polish government cannot unilaterally influence the agreement between Ukraine and the European Union on freight liberalization despite this being one of the protesters' demands.
The Ukrainian side has set up a headquarters to help drivers blocked at the border. Each of the three points is assigned a coordinator who is in constant communication.
On December 1, Ukraine and Poland agreed to unblock the border partially. Ukraine's state budget lost 9.3 billion hryvnias in customs duties due to the strike by Polish carriers and the blocking of the border.
As of December 8, there are about 3,300 trucks stuck on the Polish-Ukrainian border. Traffic is currently being blocked at four checkpoints.
