Large queues at the border with Poland: why they appeared and how to avoid them without wasting time

A large queue of cars, trucks, and buses has formed at the Ukraine-Poland border, waiting to exit or enter the country. This is reported by UNN citing official data from the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (SBGS) and information from social media.

At some checkpoints, people are forced to wait in line for up to 13 hours under the scorching sun. The queue consists mainly of minibuses and large buses. Passengers get out to stretch and drink water. There is nowhere for people to sit and rest, as there is only hot asphalt around.

How long vehicles wait at the border with Poland

According to information from the electronic portal eCherha, where one can check the congestion at border checkpoints, the most difficult situation has developed at the Krakivets-Korczowa checkpoint. There, trucks are forced to wait in line for almost three days. Currently, there is a "traffic jam" of 611 vehicles.

The situation is no better at the Yahodyn-Dorohusk checkpoint, which is used by heavy empty trucks. There, 171 vehicles are waiting in line. In addition, trucks weighing over 7.5 tons have stretched into a multi-meter "cork." 1,029 vehicles must wait an average of three days and 11 hours for their turn. 

At the Shehyni-Medyka checkpoint, 439 empty trucks are also stuck. Not far from them are loaded vehicles: 319 have already accumulated. They will have to wait more than three days.

A better situation is observed at the Ustyluh-Zosyn checkpoint: there are only 18 empty trucks and 157 loaded ones. 

Buses at all checkpoints wait in separate queues and clear customs promptly. 

Stood for 11 hours: Ukrainians share stories of crossing the border

Meanwhile, Ukrainians are sharing their experiences of crossing the border with Poland on social media. Here are the comments people left on Threads:

• "I crossed the pedestrian border today and it was a nightmare: 4 hours. Old ladies who transport cigarettes back and forth cut in line";
• "I crossed in 3 hours";
• "13 hours - and I'm in Poland";
• "We stood from nighttime until 9 a.m.";
• "7 buses stood for 8 hours"; 
• "About 11 hours in line. That's one hour (of inspection, - ed.) per bus";
• "We stood for 11 hours because one bus was serviced for 4 hours";
• "Trains stand for 9 hours and buses for 12." 

"They overload checkpoints and do not look for alternatives" - SBGS explained the queues at the border with Poland 

Regarding the situation at the border with Poland, UNN contacted the spokesperson of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, Andriy Demchenko, for a comment.

He emphasized that the situation at the checkpoints depends on the specific day. 

On weekdays, the border is less congested. On Saturday and Sunday, passenger traffic increases. Today, 145,000 citizens have already crossed the border. This includes both entry and exit in a 50 to 50 ratio. On Friday, there were 133,000. There was a slight majority of those leaving 

According to him, as of 12:00, the busiest checkpoints are "Ugriniv" (60 vehicles in line) and Ustyluh and Shehyni — where 40 vehicles are waiting in line. 

Other checkpoints are less congested.

Queues form because people overload one specific checkpoint without looking for an alternative. That is why queues form 

The SBGS spokesperson advised bus drivers not to neglect the electronic system that puts buses in line at the border, to register in it and use it to avoid wasting time in queues.

Reminder

Large-capacity buses will temporarily be able to cross the "Diakivtsi - Rakovets" checkpoint until the end of summer. The decision is intended to speed up border crossing for passengers and reduce the load on other routes.