Deputy Head of Truck Owners Syndicate (TOS), Nael Dhiabat, said the freight movement on the Jordanian-Iraqi borders is facing “a number of obstacles after nearly 80 Jordanian trucks entered Iraq,” according to a door-to-door delivery mechanism.
In a press statement to “Petra” on Sunday, he said 200 Jordanian oil trucks headed to the Jordanian-Iraqi borders, after obtaining Iraqi visas since Saturday evening.
The truckers are facing obstacles, most notably is the “high” cost of the PCR test to detect Covid-19 to JD45, which affects transportation costs of Jordanian and Iraqi trucks, failure to relieve jabbed truckers from conducting the test, in addition to the fees for the Land Transport Regulatory Commission (LTRC), according to Dhiabat.
Dhiabat also called on relieving Jordanian and Iraqi drivers, who have international certificates for taking the Covid-19 vaccine, from conducting the PCR test, reducing its cost, as well as vaccinating Iraqi drivers in Jordan and giving them a Jordanian certificate, which would speed up drivers’ entry and prevent stranding oil tanks at the borders.
Any additional fees imposed on Jordanian trucks heading to Iraq will “negatively” affect the shipping movement between the two countries, and goods prices, Dhiabat pointed out.
The TOS offered nearly 4,000 security clearance letters for truckers, to obtain Iraqi visas, he said, noting that the number of drivers who obtained visas stand at 400, he noted.
SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY