Azerbaijan truck drivers struggle to get international transport permits
Azerbaijan-Russia trade
In Azerbaijan, truck drivers report ongoing difficulties in obtaining permits for international shipments. Drivers at the Astara customs terminal told Radio Azadlig that this problem has persisted for several months, with deliberate obstacles being created for them.
- Most of sale proceeds of Zamira Hajiyeva’s London property to be returned to Azerbaijan
- Is the Middle East on the brink of a regional war? A view from Baku
- Does tuition at Azerbaijani Universities match costs and teaching quality
“I have a load of perishable goods to deliver to Iran, but I can’t get a permit. I’ve been waiting for 16 days. The shelf life of this cargo is only five to ten days. It looks like I’ll have to bear the costs if it spoils,” said a driver who wished to remain anonymous.
Drivers claim that this issue has been recurring since last year, leading to occasional protests. Permits haven’t been issued for a month now.
According to current legislation, the Azerbaijan Land Transport Agency (AYNA) oversees this sector. For international road freight transport, a “Permit Form” system is in place. These permits are exchanged based on quotas established through Azerbaijan’s bilateral international agreements and intergovernmental agreements on international road transport. Permits from the International Transport Forum are issued to operators under multilateral agreements. They are distributed based on factors such as rotation, market share, or the number of vehicles owned by the operator.
Some experts believe this system needs improvement.
The Azerbaijan International Road Carriers Association attributes these issues to high demand and a limited number of permit forms.
AYNA told the Turan agency that negotiations are ongoing with Russia’s Ministry of Transport regarding the issuance of permit forms for third-country transportation.
The agency reports that permit forms were issued to carriers at the beginning of the year but were exhausted by August 7:
“Carriers were informed daily about the remaining number of permit forms and received prompt notifications on official pages and in electronic groups when they were running out. They were advised not to load vehicles until new permit forms arrived in the country to avoid operational difficulties.
Despite these warnings, some carriers continued to load their vehicles. The exchange and import of permits without Russia’s consent proved impossible. Delivery of permits to Azerbaijan and their distribution to carriers will be ensured.”
Transport expert and lawyer Arshad Huseynov commented:
“AYNA represents Azerbaijan in this matter. This organization needs to work on obtaining the necessary number of permits in cooperation with the countries it engages in freight transport with.“
Huseynov adds that permit forms should be distributed fairly among drivers in the country:
“This distribution needs to be transparent to avoid issues for carriers.“
Last year, changes were made to the “Road Transport Law.” Passenger and freight transport by road are no longer licensed but organized based on permits. This was mainly intended as a measure to prevent unfair competition and monopolization.
