The Lithuanian hauliers’ association Linava has commented on the responses of RUE Beltamozhservice to inquiries about vehicles stranded in Belarus. The association’s members had sent requests to the Belarusian company. According to association head Erlandas Mikėnas, the replies are formal and do not clarify whether carriers can retrieve their trucks after paying storage fees.
“These letters do not specify the legal mechanism under which the vehicles were detained, provide no detention deadlines or relevant decisions, nor explain whether the vehicles can be released and under what conditions. Most importantly, the responses do not confirm that payment of the issued invoices guarantees the return of the vehicle to the carrier,” Mikėnas said in a statement.
Linava notes that in the letters received by carriers, Beltamozhservice states that the trucks are stored in customs control zones at the request of the Belarusian customs service, and that the company providing storage services allegedly only follows the instructions of customs authorities. It is also stated that storage fees are charged according to publicly announced tariffs.
“So far, we have not received any concrete action or a clear plan from the authorities to resolve this situation. Carriers remain in complete uncertainty; they do not know what to do, how to act within the law, or how to retrieve their property, which is effectively blocked without any defined legal status,” the association head added.
Linava urges carriers not to make hasty financial decisions, to document all correspondence, and to cooperate with the association.