About 60 trucks gathered Wednesday morning on Gedimino Avenue in Vilnius as the National Association of Road Carriers Linava staged a protest over hundreds of Lithuanian trucks detained in Belarus and the Lithuanian government’s failure to resolve the issue.
“No one should be left behind – return Lithuanian trucks,” read one of the carriers’ signs, while some trucks were decorated with black balloons.
Most of the trucks on display belong to Linava member companies, but several drivers told BNS that the majority of vehicles stuck in Belarus are owned by companies outside the association.
Edgaras Buchvalovas, director of Almakso Transportas, which owns 20 trucks and trailers, said his company’s vehicles were not part of the protest. He attended to support the demonstration, citing six of his company’s trucks still held in Belarus, causing losses of 11,000 euros.
“Today I see no action from the authorities. They do nothing but talk, downplay the numbers so people think fewer trucks are stranded. They say 180 trucks are stuck – that’s a huge lie; there are 10 times more,” Buchvalovas told BNS.
He added that Lithuania has only contacted Belarusian border guards, who have no authority to resolve the situation. “The government should be handling this,” he said.
Linas Utkin, director of Ultransas, whose four trailers remain in Belarus, said he hopes the vehicles can still be returned without confiscation.
“We are unhappy with the situation – that’s why we gathered here. No one represents our interests. We operate according to the law and want someone to protect our interests, but the authorities are guided by other principles,” Utkin said.
Artūras Kaušikas, head of Blokas, whose 22 trucks are stuck in Belarus, said official numbers understate the scale of the problem. The Belarusian authorities have reportedly detained about 4,000 Lithuanian vehicles, while Lithuania’s Customs Department reports 185 trucks and trailers unable to return.
“The government has data only on companies that responded to requests. Those who didn’t report their vehicles remain unregistered. This is absurd. We are all living witnesses here,” Kaušikas said.
Traffic on Gedimino Avenue between Goštauto Street and Tumo-Vaižganto Street was closed for the protest.
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