Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, April 2 / Trend H. Hasanov /
The law on 'Highways and road activity' came into force in Turkmenistan. Accordingly, new standards were approved in the field of road transportation, the Turkmen parliament said on Monday.
The report states the new law applies to the relations arising in the transportation, as well as rendering services related to the transportation of passengers and goods. Transportation is classified by domestic and international, passenger and freight and regular and irregular.
According to the law, cargo is transported on the basis of the agreement on cargo transportation.
The new law says truckers must ensure the safety of passenger and freight transportation and the environment. Customers and truckers must ensure safe transportation, handling of toxic, explosive, flammable, radioactive, toxic and other dangerous goods.
Under the new provisions, roads are classified. They are divided by those under the jurisdiction of the Turkmenavtoyollary State Concern (Turkmen roads), the local authorities, ministries and agencies.
The document says that the law allows those engaged in road activity to introduce tolls on roads, including artificial roads, if high-speed and secure method of vehicle movement is ensured.
'The road may be completely or partially paid, including some sections via artificial roads', the report said.
Toll roads, managed by the relevant authorities can be transferred to legal entities or individual entrepreneurs for their management.
The decision of referring the road including an artificial road, to the category of toll roads, is made by the Turkmen Cabinet of Ministers.
Turkmenistan's transit potential is related to the fact that the road stretching through the country from the east to west, is the shortest route from Asia to Europe for road carriers.
The Turkmen Association of International Road Carriers has been operating since 2001. This organisation assumes the guarantees covering responsibility for transportation operations are conducted in accordance with the Customs Convention on the International Transport of Goods under Cover of TIR Carnets (1975).
The association also provides local carriers who have signed up to the Association Agreement, with the documents necessary for international transportation. Iodine, cotton, polypropylene and other goods are exported from Turkmenistan to Iran.
Textiles, leather, cotton, liquorice root, carbon and polypropylene are supplied to Turkey.
Gas, petrol, auto parts, oil and furniture are delivered to Afghanistan. The main goods imported by Turkmen carriers are building materials.