Trucks queue eases at Saudi border

Abu Dhabi: Although trucks at Al Ghuwaifat border began crossing into Saudi Arabia faster on Saturday, drivers say they will wait to say "the crisis is over".

The crisis looked less serious than the situation in June thanks to the timely efforts of the UAE authorities, many truck drivers told Gulf News on Saturday.

"At least this time a long er queue was avoided on this road," they said.

Abu Dhabi authorities had made a temporary parking areas inside the border checkpoints about 20 days ago, when the long queue of trucks started building up due to alleged slow customs clearance by Saudi authorities.

The new parking accommodates about 800 trucks which meant a longer queue was not built up on the road, compared to the crisis in June, several drivers said. Although there was no queue on the road till yesterday afternoon, still about 4,500 to 5,000 trucks were waiting at the parking lots, according to truck drivers.

"The parking area close to the mosque in Al Ghuwaifat can accommodate about 800-900 trucks, like that six other parking areas and a five-kilometre-long road are full of trucks," Taqui Aziz, a driver, said.

But in the parking areas inside the border checkpoint areas life is not so easy, he said. "There are only a few toilets and it is disheartening to see thousands of drivers queuing up there."

He said there are also no groceries or restaurants [inside border checkpoints] except for a small cafeteria providing only sandwiches nearby a Saudi checkpoint.

The only solace is the queue started moving faster since Friday night, Saidu, an Indian truck driver, said. "Abu Dhabi Police supplied water and juices to the drivers several times during the past week."

Another driver said "Friday and Saturday being the weekend very few trucks joined the queue, the real situation will be clear by Sunday or Monday."