Ozols said that the first steps in the implementation of the electronic queue are expected in the first half of 2025, but the full functionality of the solution will be gradually introduced by autumn 2026.
"We see this activity as a security project because a situation where there are queues of vehicles at the external land border for several kilometers is not acceptable for various reasons. This needs to be resolved," Ozols said.
The closure of several Belarusian border crossing points in Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland has created a double burden for the remaining points. In Latvia, some of the staff at the closed Silene customs checkpoint now work in Pāternieki, but trucks still have to queue for more than a week.
Finance Minister Arvils Ašeradens (New Unity) announced his intention to introduce an electronic queue in June 2023 to reduce the queues of freight vehicles at the eastern border.
The project "Implementation of the electronic queue" is funded by the European Union Cohesion Policy Programme 2021-2027.
The total cost of the project is estimated at around €8 million.
