The first truck convoy with export cargo to leave for China from Central Asia
February 18, 2018 | 02:17 |291
Round the year of 2017 and beginning of 2018 were marked by an unprecedented increase in the share of rail freight transport within the Asian region, as well as between Europe and Asia. Meanwhile, according to reports from Uzbekistan, automobile transport is also increasing its potential. So, currently our Uzbek partners are preparing to launch the first motor caravan with export goods along the new transport corridor Uzbekistan – Kyrgyzstan – China (Tashkent – Andijan – Osh – Irkeshtam – Kaxgar He). Products of Uzbek exporters, as well as goods from neighboring countries will be delivered to Western China by trucks of “Silk Road International” Co.Ltd. Having unloaded in Chinese Kaxgar He, the motorcade will go back, loaded with the goods for consumers of Uzbekistan and neighboring countries. Wagon transfer, as a rule, has an advantage over road transport. Transportation of goods by rail, in most cases, is cheaper. However, the automobile route from Uzbekistan to the China is the rare case when it is more profitable to carry goods on motor vehicles. In any case, while the railway is not built along this route. Judge for yourself. Uzbek, Kyrgyz and Chinese truckers organized a pilot trip on the Tashkent – Andijan – Osh – Irkeshtam – Kaxgar He route, and they received interesting results. At an average speed of an automobile transportof 50-60 kilometers per hour, the road with length of 920 kilometers was passed in 31 hours, of which 16 hours drivers drove. As a rule, most of the time the drivers of heavy vehicles lose when crossing the state border. Here these indicators are quite favorable. So, the motor caravan crossed the Uzbek – Kyrgyz border at an hour and a half, and the Kyrgyz - Chinese border at only 2 hours. According to experts, thanks to the rapid delivery of goods, the new route promises to be in a great benefit. If, according to the acting route, the cargo transportation from Uzbekistan to the Celestial Empire was within 8-10 days, then the delivery on a new route will take two days only. In addition, of course, the cost of transportation plays an important role. Organizers here have tried to develop a flexible and transparent system of payment for transportation. The transportation makes it possible to save 300 to 500 dollars per consignment. Moreover, an economy per annum will be about 2.5 million US dollars, under this calculation. Economists estimated, that in general, about 100 thousand tons of cargo will be transported across this automobile route by the end of 2018. Moreover, there is important issue, currently the scheduled carriage of cargo across this way is exceeded 27 thousand tons, which means that the carriers are tied up for three months ahead. The most exported goods to China are textile, agricultural and leather products, as well as electrical and mechanical engineering goods produced in third countries. At the initial stage, 80 trucks will be launched in this direction, with the increasing of quantity up to 200 units by the end of this year. Everything depends on the success of the undertaking. In recent years, interest in transport and transit issues has increased worldwide. Not least, this is due to the global economic crisis and the fall in world energy prices. Turkmenistan was one of the first among the oil and gas countries, who proclaimed a policy of development of the transport and transit segment of the national economy within the framework of economy diversification. Ashgabat put forward a number of important initiatives and projects of regional and continental importance. Some of them are realized and gives an economic effect already, such as the Kazakhstan – Turkmenistan – Iran railway. Other projects, such as the construction of the Turkmenistan – Afghanistan – Tajikistan railway, the new International Sea Port of Turkmenbashi at Caspian as well as others, are being implemented. According to specialists, the commissioning of these transport infrastructure facilities will allow to optimize cargo routes and significantly increase the flow of traffic. The attractiveness of the transport sector is that all participants in regional and continental transportation benefit from this. Producers and consumers of products enjoy optimal routes for the transport of freight, and transit countries benefit from tariff payments for the cargo transit through their territories.Nury AMANOV
