Press Release
The 1st Meeting of the Road Committee of the Transit Transport Coordination Council (TTCC) was held in Islamabad on 17-18 September 2007. Delegates from Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan as well as the representative of the ECO Secretariat participated in the Meeting.
Mr. Firdaus Alam, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Communications of Pakistan, inaugurated the meeting. He appreciated ECO’s efforts for the promotion and development of transport facilities, especially in the field of transit transport. He expressed the hope that with the cooperation of all contracting parties, the TTFA will achieve its goals and objectives.
The ECO Representative, Mr. Muhammad Mirzaei Kahagh, Director of Transport and Communications, briefed the participants on the status of implementation of TTFA. He also dilated on the importance of the transport sector for the region.
The two-day event focused on implementation of the Articles of TTFA relating to the road transport. The meeting discussed and approved the Terms of Reference of Technical Committees of TTCC. It was decided that, in order to implement Article 5 of TTFA, member states should take appropriate steps towards rationalization and gradual convergence of charging policies for international road transport of goods. It was agreed that official charges and payments be limited to the declared payments by the concerned member states. Other kinds of payments, which were not declared, would be considered unofficial payments and should be eliminated.
The meeting also decided that the ECO transit routes map be prepared on the basis of Article 6 and Annexures I and II of the TTFA.
In order to adopt a uniform set of consignment notes/way bills, the meeting recommended the adoption of existing International Road Consignment Note, Bill of Lading, etc.
It was also decided that visas, within the framework of Article 12 of the TTFA, be issued, within 72 hours, to drivers of vehicles and to persons engaged in international traffic operations upon presenting an introductory letter from an authorized body.
Furthermore, the committee decided that transport permit quotas/limitations, if any, among member states be abolished from the date of entry into force of TTFA as envisaged in Article 15. The meeting also agreed that the road transport permits should be issued free of charge and without any limitations/quotas.
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