GENEVA (ILO News) - Excessive border delays, inefficient or corrupt border officials and drivers' vulnerability to sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS put the international road transport sector at risk, according to a new report ( Note 1) by the International Labour Organization (ILO).

In many cases, poor infrastructure, inefficient organization of official procedures and unprofessional border officials not only negatively affect the living and working conditions of international drivers at border crossings worldwide but also have negative economic impacts, says the report which was prepared for a tripartite meeting here on 23-26 October.

"On the roads and border crossings of Europe, Africa, the Americas and Asia, issues such as current visa policies are creating the primary stumbling block for drivers, including restrictions on their right to work", says ILO transport expert Marios Meletiou. "In many cases, increasing transportation costs also involve interruptions in manufacturing and delivery cycles".

The report examines the economic, labour and social issues arising from problems of cross-border mobility of international drivers in the road transport sector. It cites one example, based on a recent study showing how inadequate infrastructure capacity reportedly cost billions in estimated lost gross output and tens of thousands of jobs.

While the official time period to obtain a Schengen visa valid in the European Union (EU) was on average four days in 2005, for example, actual time for professional drivers of buses and trucks from non-Schengen countries like Kazakhstan, Morocco, Ukraine and Turkey ranged from 1.5 days for a Turkish driver to 31.5 days for a Kazakh driver during the same period.

In Africa, customs procedures are proving to be a significant bottleneck. For example, the report says that the average customs transaction on the continent involved 20-30 different parties, 40 documents and 200 data elements, 30 of which were repeated at least 30 times. And according to a 2005 International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) survey on working conditions among truck drivers from seven central African countries, all drivers experienced prolonged waiting at the border crossings ranging from two to five days.

According to IRU (International Road Transport Union), excessive border delays have also been reported at border crossings in Europe. Some haulers reported waits of 12 to 48 hours at the border between Poland and Belarus, 20 to 48 hours at the border between Finland and the Russian Federation, and 12 to 72 hours at Latvia's borders with the Russian Federation and Belarus. Extremely long waiting periods have also been recorded at border crossings with Asia, reaching up to 72 hours between Turkey and Iraq, and between the Russian Federation and Central Asian countries.

What's more, unofficial payments and harassment represent a major issue for drivers, employers, governments and even consumers, the report says. Drivers and road transport companies absorb the main expenditure, but governments lose duties on goods, and costs are often passed on throughout the supply chain to other businesses and ultimately the consumer.

Delays caused by customs procedures are often compounded by inadequate border facilities, including the lack of secure parking, accommodation, welfare and sanitation, food and beverage services and communication tools. In addition, the stress and fatigue that delays create can lead to traffic accidents and fatalities. "These less than desirable living and working conditions of international drivers also have a negative effect on society as a whole", says Mr. Meletiou.

The report also stresses the vulnerability of the workers in international road transport to sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS which has an impact on many more people throughout the areas where drivers live and work.

According to the report, governments bear the primary responsibility to address the majority of problems outlined while employers and workers can also make essential contributions to improve the situation. The report also refers to the ILO's Seafarers' Identity Documents Convention (Revised), 2003 (No.185) that could provide useful ideas for a similar approach in the case of international drivers.

"The road transport sector needs an influx of young men and women into the industry to maintain its sustainability and to keep pace with the growing demand for trade via road transport", says Mr. Meletiou. "We have to make sure that the living and working conditions of international drivers are constantly improving and that the sector continues to offer attractive employment opportunities for workers across the world."

Note 1 - Labour and social issues arising from problems of cross-border mobility of international drivers in the road transport sector, Report for discussion at the Tripartite Meeting on Labour and Social Issues arising from Problems of Cross-border Mobility of International Drivers in the Road Transport Sector, Geneva, 23-26 October. International Labour Office, ISBN 92-2-118477-3 / 978-92-2-118477-5, Geneva, 2006.