Trucks are backed up in Azerbaijan

Thousands of trucks bound for Central Asia are currently stranded in the Azerbaijani port city of Alat after Iran closed its borders.

Normally, trucks travel from Turkey to northern Iran and then continue south of the Caspian Sea to Turkmenistan. From there, they can also reach the other Central Asian countries by land, Radio Ozodi reported on April 16. Since this route is currently unavailable, drivers have no choice but to take a detour through Azerbaijan and cross the Caspian Sea.

According to the broadcaster, some Tajik traders and drivers transporting goods from Turkey and Europe to Tajikistan have been waiting for a passage for six weeks.

The Tajik businessman Samandar explained that the long traffic jams in Alat were due to hundreds of trucks simultaneously trying to reach ferries or larger ships. However, the available capacity was insufficient to quickly transport so many vehicles with heavy loads.

“In the past, trucks from Europe and Turkey used to drive across the Iranian border into Turkmenistan. That road is now closed, and everyone wants to use the ferry crossing. There are three ferries a day, each capable of carrying up to 100 trucks. About 300 to 400 more trucks arrive every day. So everyone is waiting to cross,” he said.

There are now reports of rising consumer prices from several Central Asian countries. One reason cited is supply bottlenecks linked to the ongoing difficulties in freight transport.