ALMATY, Kazakhstan, June 25. Effective investment in the transport sector requires more than the construction of roads and other physical infrastructure, according to International Road Transport Union representative Vadim Zakharchenko, Trend's correspondent reports from the event.
Speaking at the session "Seamless Eurasia: A Logistics Hub at the Crossroads of Continents", Zakharchenko, head of the IRU Permanent Delegation to Eurasia, said infrastructure projects should be evaluated not only by their scale but also by how effectively they are integrated into broader transport networks.
“We need to consider how well infrastructure is connected to wider transport systems and how efficiently businesses and residents are able to use it,” he said.
According to Zakharchenko, modern highways alone cannot deliver the desired economic benefits if freight traffic faces significant delays at border crossings.
“We may have excellent roads, but if they only allow trucks to quickly reach congested border crossings where they spend days or even weeks waiting, the expected results will not be achieved,” he said.
Zakharchenko noted that efficiency and sustainability remain the key indicators of success in commercial road transport, underscoring the need for an integrated approach to investment decisions.
He said transport projects should combine investment in physical infrastructure with measures aimed at improving transport connectivity and operational efficiency.
The IRU official also stressed the importance of incorporating international standards into transport investment projects from the earliest planning stages to ensure the long-term efficiency and sustainability of transport systems.
