Motor Cargo Transportation Volumes in the Sverdlovsk Oblast Start to Grow

07.04.2009 — News

THE SVERDLOVSK OBLAST.

The motor cargo transportation market in the Sverdlovsk Oblast begins to recover slowly after a dramatic slump. The transportation volumes in February 2009 were 50% lower than the figure for February last year. In March the cargo traffic grew up to 65% compared to the volume for the same period of 2008. The main cause for this growth is the increase in the volumes of inexpensive food products.

Volumes of imported products transported are forecasted to grow by the beginning of the summer, Elena Balaba, the Executive Director of the Targo haulage company, told RusBusinessNews. In her view, food products are remaining the only product group growing in volumes - "At present 40% more food products is transported than before the crisis, these are, predominantly, frozen foods made in Russia." Perfumery and cosmetics transportation volumes remain approximately the same. Transportation volumes of industrial and construction cargo stay low.

According to Mrs. Balaba, motor transportation volumes in Russia peak in August-September when 30-40%, sometimes up to 50% of the annual volume is transported.