Some Lithuanian trucks have been stranded in Kazakhstan due to massive unrest gripping the country. The real situation is difficult to know due to Internet and mobile network blockages, but logistics companies have already been affected, business representatives say.
According to Linava, Lithuania’s National Road Carriers Association, the mass unrest in Kazakhstan complicates the logistics companies’ operations in the region.
“Some carriers transporting goods to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are already facing difficulties. Customers are refusing to send cargo to or via these countries,” Zenonas Buivydas, head of Linava, said.
According to him, freight has been suspended for a week, hoping that the situation in Kazakhstan will improve.
Some trucks have also been stranded inside Kazakhstan or at its border with Russia, which was closed on January 6. But it is difficult to know the real number of stuck trucks because the Internet and mobile networks are being blocked in the country, Buivydas said.
Arturas Telmentas, head of the logistics company Telmento Transportas, says that three of his drivers are currently stranded inside Kazakhstan. Other freight to the country has been suspended.
One of the three stuck drivers is trapped in a protest-controlled parking lot, Telmentas said. The driver stopped there after he lost contact with his customer due to bad Internet, and was no longer allowed to leave.
Two other drivers were stopped at a checkpoint. Telmentas said he was able to speak to them on January 5 evening.
“The drivers managed to call me from a local phone in Kazakhstan. They are at a large transport checkpoint. They were stopped there and were not allowed to leave,” Telmentas said.
The drivers were only allowed to go buy some food. There, they also faced problems because they had very little cash, while bankcard payments were not possible due to Internet blockages.
According to Buivydas, Linava is closely monitoring the situation in Kazakhstan and communicating with logistics companies.
“We will turn to Lithuanian diplomatic mission in Kazakhstan if necessary to help the stranded truck drivers to return to Lithuania. We also recommend, if possible, to postpone shipments to or via Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan while the unrest continues,” he said.
Based on Linava data, there were 166 Lithuanian logistics companies with 3,630 trucks operating in the region in 2021. (LRT/Business World Magazine)