Border Situation Unveiled
In Latvia, a small queue of 19 vehicles was observed heading towards Belarus, with border crossings taking approximately an hour and a half. Meanwhile, in Lithuania, queues for light vehicles stand at 160-230 vehicles, and heavy vehicles queue at 460-470 vehicles.
At the "Beniakoni - Shalčininkai" crossing, the bot predicts a car journey of 18 hours and 28 minutes, with bus travel taking 2 hours and 10 minutes from Lithuania to Belarus. The return journey, from Belarus to Lithuania, is predicted to take 14 hours and 17 minutes by car and 2 hours and 8 minutes by bus. However, users have reported waiting a full day to cross the border from Belarus to Lithuania, with border guards working slowly.
In contrast, the border crossing "Grigorovshchina - Paternieki" in Latvia has no queues for light vehicles or buses. It's worth noting that only light vehicles with Belarusian license plates are permitted to enter Lithuania, provided the owner has a Lithuanian residence permit or visa.
Unfortunately, the Polish-Belarusian border has been completely closed since September 12.
In Lithuania, there are currently 310 trucks in the queue in Miedininkai, and 392 trucks in Shalčininkai. The Border Committee of Belarus alleges that Lithuania has accepted only 18% of light vehicles and 50% of trucks from the norm, and Latvia has let through only 48% of trucks.
On the Lithuanian side, belongings are inspected slowly, with all bags being removed from the cars. In a recent incident, a bus passenger's belongings were inspected with a scanner, and strong alcoholic beverages were poured out.
In the chat about buses, users have expressed concerns about ticket prices and ticket availability, rather than waiting times. This is a common concern, as one user reported spending four and a half hours crossing from Lithuania to Belarus by bus.
It's important to note that the cargo portal Cargo.lv's counter is also currently down, adding to the challenges faced by those trying to cross the border.
Despite these challenges, the Latvian border guards perform a superficial check, and there are no queues of buses for the border crossing "Kamenny Log - Miedininkai" in Lithuania.
In summary, border crossings in Latvia, Lithuania, and Belarus are currently facing significant delays, particularly at the "Beniakoni - Shalčininkai" crossing. Users have reported slow border checks, long waiting times, and challenges with ticket availability for bus travel. The Polish-Belarusian border remains closed, and the cargo portal Cargo.lv's counter is currently down.
