WARSAW (Reuters) - Polish truckers and farmers started a round-the-clock blockade of access on Monday to Medyka, one of the busiest border crossings with Ukraine, extending a protest that has left thousand of lorries stranded for days in queues that stretch for miles.
Polish truckers have already been blocking access to three other border crossings since Nov. 6, demanding that the European Union reintroduce a permit system for Ukrainian truckers entering the bloc and for EU truckers entering Ukraine, with exemptions for humanitarian aid and military supplies.
The current waiting time for trucks to cross at Medyka, one of eight road border crossings with Ukraine, is 127 hours according to data from the Polish border guard.
In Medyka truckers are joining a protest organised by farmers who are demanding that government support to help them deal with low grain prices be continued.
Two trucks per hour are being let through at Medyka, the protesters say, with exemptions for humanitarian aid and war supplies.
Persons:
Tomasz Borkowski, Karol Badohal, Alan Charlish, Susan Fenton
Organizations:
European Union, Transport Employers, Ukraine's Infrastructure Ministry
Locations:
WARSAW, Ukraine, Polish, European, Russia, Russian, Poland, Medyka