The prestigious Bulgarian business publication Capital met with two of GOPET TRANS senior management representatives to discuss current challenges faced by the transportation and logistics industry and supply chains in general.
The interview in “Capital” not only introduces to readership data and trends in the transport business, but discusses stringent issues such as border crossing jams impact current state of business and highlights its causes as well as potential short and long term solutions.
“The only way to reduce the congestion at the borders is to increase the capacities and the number of cross-border points. The other possibilities are investments in the construction of buffer parking lots, as well as acceleration of digitalization, “as pointed out by Kamelia Vasileva, Global Commercial Director with Gopet Trans.
“However, it depends on the government and the local administration to what extent Bulgaria will be able to create prerequisites for new investments and keep the ones it has. Currently, the trend is growing and we have already managed to return to pre-2020 levels and even overtake them. 2022 promises to be better,” she continues.
“Bulgaria is becoming (..) a cross-docking hub to Europe. Goods from Greece and Turkey are unloaded here, loaded on Bulgarian trucks and continue to Western and Eastern Europe,” commented Vasileva. She adds that there is a continuous increase in exports from the Balkans to the West, and according to the data, the increase is 10-15% for the period June-July 2022.
“We can use sea transport as an alternative to Turkey, Georgia and the former USSR countries, and let Greece be a helping hand. However, then the value of the transport service increases significantly. If the goods from Bulgaria and Greece are exported by water to Italy and Spain, this will lead to a decrease in the accumulations at the borders in Bulgaria, but at the same time the transit time will be extended and the price will increase”, adds Vasileva.
“Transit through Serbia is also a solution that some carriers use to avoid traffic jams in Vidin and Ruse. However, since the documentation requirements are different for a non-EU country, others avoid it. Nevertheless, we notice a redirection of traffic through Serbia as well,” commented Raya Rendakova, Commercial Director for Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey.