Geneva June 20 2023: Using the TIR system, eight National Logistics Cell (NLC) trucks with 40-foot containers carried commercial products from Pakistan to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan via Afghanistan 70-80% faster compared to alternative transport options, acknowledges IRU the world road transport organisation.
The trucks covered 3,000km from Karachi (Pakistan) to Tashkent (Uzbekistan), 3,800km to Almaty (Kazakhstan), and 4,600km to Astana (Kazakhstan) without having to unload and reload the goods onto other trucks at each border.
IRU Director of TIR and Transit Tatiana Rey-Bellet said, “Pakistani transport companies are increasingly using TIR to expand their activities to new regions.
“With TIR, an international tried-and-tested solution which significantly boosts the efficiency and security of trade, there is no need for drivers and goods to be stuck at borders for days and slow down operations by transferring loads from one truck to another.”
“We’re still only at the beginning, we look forward to continuing our work with Pakistani public and private actors to maximise the benefits of road transport and the TIR system,” she added.
The trucks will carry return loads back to Pakistan with TIR.
Delivering aid
NLC, together with IRU and the Economic Cooperation Organization, opened the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul (ITI) corridor in 2021. The ITI corridor, which NLC uses frequently, has cut transport times by 80% compared to the normal maritime route, on average.
In February, NLC used TIR and the ITI corridor to deliver essential relief items following the devastating earthquake that struck Türkiye.
What is TIR?
TIR is the only global transit system. It enables goods to be shipped from a country of origin, through transit countries, to a country of destination, via a secure, multilateral, multimodal and mutually recognised system.
The TIR system also provides a financial guarantee, managed by IRU, for the payment of suspended duties and taxes.
