Thailand, Vietnam and Laos launched a scheme today allowing trucks to drive across the three countries without stopping, in a major boost for road trade in the region, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said.
Hauliers going between Vietnam and Thailand can now get permits meaning their goods no longer have to be unloaded, checked and reloaded in transit country Laos and can proceed direct to their destinations, the ADB said.
The Southeast Asian nations formally exchanged traffic rights and introduced a customs transit system today and held ceremonies at the two key border crossings, it said in a statement.
"You can now set out from Thailand, do business in Laos, and arrive in time for dinner at Danang in Vietnam — all in the space of a single day," said Arjun Thapan, who heads the ADB's Southeast Asia department.
"Because of the progress these countries have made, trade and tourism will prosper further," he said in the statement.
The new Cross-Border Transport Agreement speeds up overland shipments travelling along the "East-West Economic Corridor," which runs from Danang in central Vietnam, through to southwest Laos and into Thailand.
Permits have initially been granted for 1,200 commercial vehicles, 400 in each country, allowing them to be fast tracked at border-crossing check points, greatly reducing overland transport time.
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