Truck drivers at Merdare: Sometimes we wait two or three days, it is taking too long

Truck drivers waiting in line at the Merdare crossing to reach the terminal, where the inspection of goods coming from Serbia, they say, can take up to two days, told Kosovo Online that they hope a solution will be found soon, as working under these conditions has become extremely difficult.

The line of trucks at Merdare often stretches for several kilometers, and, as the drivers point out, the biggest congestion happens on Thursdays and Fridays, a situation that has lasted for a year now, ever since the Kosovo government decided to partially lift the ban on imports of Serbian goods, allowing imports only through Merdare, where trucks are inspected manually.

Nemanja Vasiljevic, who was transporting Serbian goods through Merdare for the first time, said that he had read about the long waits before, but was lucky enough to avoid the congestion this time.

“I saw online that the lines are huge, but today it’s not that bad, the line was about 500 meters when I arrived, which is fine by me,” Vasiljevic said.

For Radoslav Milosevic from Leskovac, waiting in the line during cold weather conditions is very difficult.

“Today I have been waiting for an hour, but under these conditions it is hard, sometimes we wait two or three days. It’s really time to find a solution,” Milosevic said.

Another truck driver emphasized that the issue of importing Serbian goods into Kosovo has gone unresolved for far too long.

“It’s been like this for a year now, we wait two or three days. There aren’t many trucks today, but more will arrive soon. If we don’t get through by 2 p.m., we have to wait until tomorrow,” he said.

Ivan Bradic noted that after passing the border inspection, the checks at the terminal can take up to two days.

“The wait is pretty long, and it is like this every week. I don’t know how long this will go on, but it is really inconvenient. After we pass the inspection, we stay at the terminal for a day, sometimes two. It’s very cold, it is a mountainous area. I hope something will be resolved soon, but judging by how things are going now, it doesn’t look good,” Bradic said.