Almost 1,500 trucks stuck in traffic jam at Latvia-Russia border

RIGA, October 12 (RIA Novosti) - Almost 1,500 trucks are stuck in traffic jams at the Latvian-Russian border, the Baltic country's border guards press service said on Sunday.

A total of 1,200 vehicles are involved at the Terekhovo-Burachki border post on the road to Moscow and 220 at the Grebnevo-Ubylinka crossing on the road to St. Petersburg.

The number of jammed trucks tends to depend on the situation on the roads in neighboring Lithuania and Belarus, as well as on the season. The most serious jams usually occur in August-September, as companies begin to increase their international carriage due to the end of the vacation season.

The other main traffic jam period begins in November, when deliveries increase in the run-up to Christmas and New Year.

Increased trade between Russia and the EU combined with the tiny traffic capacity of border posts have made such jams routine in Latvia, which is one of the EU's most eastern states.

A record queue of 2000 trucks was registered in August 2007. Drivers usually spend an average of more than 23 hours queuing at the Terekhovo-Burachki point, and about 20 hours at the Grebnevo-Ubylinka crossing.

During talks in Riga last year, Russian Transportations Minister Igor Levitin said agreement had been reached to build new checkpoints at Vientuli and Opoli.