Truck drivers granted one-stop border crossing at Narva checkpoint
Beginning this week, the Estonian Tax and Customs Board (MTA) officials at the Narva-1 border checkpoint will perform both customs inspections as well as border control procedures, allowing for truck drivers to cross the Russian-Estonian border with just one stop.
According to Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) Border Control Unit Chief Eve Kalmus, it is chiefly truck drivers who will benefit from this new cooperation arrangement between the PPA and the MTA.
“The goal of this joint project is to increase the speed of border crossings and border checkpoint capacity as well as strengthen border and customs controls,” said Kalmus.
“If all personal and vehicular documentation is in order, one contact at the border will now be sufficient for a person to continue crossing,” explained Eastern Customs Office Director Voldemar Linno. “On the first day, people crossing the border were initially somewhat surprised, but reacted positively to the change.”
During the first four months of 2016, a total of 25,357 commercial trucks crossed the Russian-Estonian border at the Narva-1 checkpoint, a slight increase from 24,473 during the same period last year.
Editor: Editor: Aili Sarapik
