BSEC-URTA Working Party Discusses Border Delays and the Future of Regional Road Transport
The BSEC-URTA Working Party on Border Crossing Problems met on 29 September 2026 under the chairmanship of Deputy Secretary General Alpdoğan Kahraman. Participants discussed how border capacity, customs procedures and changing trade routes affect transport across the BSEC region.
Iro Doumani, General Manager of the Hellenic Federation of Road Transport (OFAE), presented the findings of BSEC-URTA’s visit to the Kipi border crossing. She highlighted its limited capacity and the need for improved infrastructure, driver facilities and coordination between border authorities. Kahraman’s presentation of January–August 2026 statistics showed that İpsala–Kipi accounted for only 8.7% of vehicle crossings through Türkiye’s western land gateways and Ro-Ro ports. Participants noted that Kipi’s limited capacity prevents the Greek route from offering a stronger alternative when other western gateways are congested. It also leaves Greece with a small share of transit traffic compared with routes through Bulgaria and Ro-Ro ports, limiting potential economic benefits for Greece and the wider BSEC region.
Erman Ereke, IRU General Delegate, presented the role of the TIR system in reducing customs delays and supporting road corridors through Iraq and the Middle East. Participants thanked IRU for its early work to establish these routes, undertaken well before the recent disruptions affecting the Strait of Hormuz. Those developments have further demonstrated the importance of international road transport in keeping supply chains moving.
Closing the meeting, BSEC-URTA President Eduart Kasa recalled how drivers and transport companies have kept goods moving through pandemics, earthquakes and wars. He stressed that, despite frequent recognition of their essential work, professional drivers still face difficult Schengen visa procedures and border waits that can last for months. He called on governments to give drivers and the sector the practical support and respect they deserve.
The BSEC-URTA International Secretariat thanks PABSEC Deputy Secretary General Ms. Valentina-Antoaneta Cobzareanu and BSEC Permanent International Secretariat Executive Manager Mr. Sergii Kravchenko for their support, and Ms. Doumani and Mr. Ereke for their valuable presentations.
