The NELTI Project is in its third month of operation, and this provides an opportunity for a preliminary assessment of some of its results.
At the present time, 9 road transport companies from 7 countries (Republic of Belarus, Kyrgyz Republic, Islamic Republic of Iran, Russian Federation, Turkish Republic, Republic of Uzbekistan, and Ukraine) take part in the NELTI Project (involved in the haulage directly or preparing for the operations). The overall number of road transport vehicles running within the project is already more than 20.
The freight haulage operations within the NELTI Project cover a vast geographic area stretching from China's borders with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic in the east to Germany in the west, and from Baltic ports in the north to cities in Iran and Turkey in the south.
The overall distance covered by the carriers is already in excess of 150 thousand km. The most dynamically operating is the NELTI Northern Route where the road-trains of the participating companies have already started on their third round journeys.
The freights carried within the project include an extremely wide range of goods, from food products (confectionery, capers, sugar, vegetables, fruit, etc.) to diplomatic cargoes, household appliances and electronics.
The NELTI Project made it possible to identify in practice the problems and barriers that still persist in the area of international road transport haulage in the CIS region and hamper its efficient development. One of the most important subsequent measures in completing the project will be preparation of a road map for development of road transport carriages between Asia and Europe, and recommendations for governments and international organizations for comprehensive development of Eurasian road transport communications. The final report, road map and recommendations will be officially presented at the forthcoming IRU's 5th Euro-Asian Road Transport Conference scheduled to take place on 11-12 June 2009 in Almaty (Republic of Kazakhstan).
At the same time, several conclusions can be made already now that have to do with structural and systemic matters.
1. The current network of highway routes between Europe and Asia is on the whole practicable already now for unhampered freight carriages over long distances. The factor of infrastructure thus does not represent any significant impediment in the development of Euro-Asian road transport communications.
2. The chief problems hindering Euro-Asian road transport haulage operations arise at border crossings and are of subjective nature (extortion and illegitimate actions by customs services, border control officers, etc.). Consequently, the need to fight administrative barriers is still there.
3. It is obvious that by the spring of 2009 when the NELTI Project reaches the highest point in its implementation, its dimensions will considerably surpass the other pilot projects in Euro-Asian transport communications that were carried out in recent years, in particular, in railway transport in the course of demonstration runs of container trains.
4. The international economic crisis has already brought down considerably the volume of international carriages by rail and sea, including those in the communications between Europe and Asia. However, it so far has not had any tangible impact on the implementation of the NELTI Project. The falling automobile fuel prices and the high mobility of road transport make it possible to adjust successfully to changes in the market situation. Historical experience indicates that periods of economic crises are overcome by road transport on an international level less painfully than by railway or marine transport. ((Statistics shows that in the years of Great Depression in the U.S.A. road transport consolidated its positions considerably to become in the aftermath the leader on the national freight haulage market, while the railroads and inland river and sea transport suffered very considerably and has forever stayed outsider ever since).
Moreover, there are reasons to expect that the crisis will prompt small consigners to optimize the global supply chains, and to look for ways to reduce the time of goods transit from the place of manufacturing to the end consumer.
Below, there are some of the current assessments concerning the implementation of the NELTI Project.
Southern Route
The Buned Company's road-trains are now in Tashkent (Republic of Uzbekistan), and are shortly starting on their second round journey with a freight of consumer goods.
Six road-trains of the Oshmezhtrans Company are now in the city of Osh uploaded. They are leaving for Turkey within the coming few days with a freight of cotton aboard. At the same time, several road-trains of the company followed with a freight of bananas along the Northern Route from the port of St. Petersburg in the direction of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. At the moment, they are following across the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Three road-trains of the Turkish Karadeniz Company are at Trabzon having finished fully their first round journey. Two other road-trains with various cargoes arrived in Tbilisi (Georgia). Yet another two vehicles are in Almaty waiting for upload to start on the way to the Turkish Republic and to complete their first round journey.
Central Route
The Central Asia Company carried out the delivery of textile freights from Uzbekistan to Turkey with the use of the Turkmenbashi - Baku ferry crossing over the Caspian. On the way back, the company's road-train delivered equipment. It was unloaded in Tashkent, and now they are looking for a freight to carry it along the Central Route in the western direction.
Northern Route
Three road-trains of the AtrimLogistic Company are at present at the border between the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation. The company's fourth vehicle is preparing to start from Tashkent, and a fifth should in the coming few days pass through Moscow on its way from Tashkent to Germany.
The Buned Company's vehicle is in Uzbekistan waiting for uploading.
Several other road transport companies from various countries are shortly joining in the freight carriages under the NELTI colours.
