Polish truckers and farmers have launched a round-the-clock blockade at one of the busiest border crossings with Ukraine, escalating a protest that has led to long queues and stranded over a thousand lorries. The blockade, which began on Monday, is now being carried out at the Medyka crossing, as well as three other border crossings.

The truckers' protest stems from their complaints of losing business to Ukrainian companies offering cheaper prices for transport services within the European Union. They argue that these companies are transporting goods both within the EU and between the EU and Ukraine, putting Polish truckers at a disadvantage.

Tomasz Borkowski, leader of the Committee to Protect Transporters and Transport Employers, expressed the desire to end the protest as soon as possible due to the burden it places on their industry and the surrounding community.

The protest, which began on November 6, initially called for the European Union to reintroduce a permit system for Ukrainian truckers entering the bloc, as well as EU truckers entering Ukraine. The truckers are seeking exemptions for humanitarian aid and military supplies.

Furthermore, the Polish truckers are demanding that empty trucks from the EU be excluded from an electronic queuing system in Ukraine. They also want measures to prevent Belarusian and Russian hauliers from establishing companies in Poland to circumvent sanctions.

At present, the waiting time for trucks to cross at Medyka, one of the eight road border crossings with Ukraine, is approximately 91 hours according to data from the Polish border guard.

Ukraine has voiced concerns that the ongoing protest is damaging its fragile economy, as it hampers exports and delays the arrival of essential supplies such as motor vehicle gas. The Ukrainian government has also claimed that humanitarian aid has been blocked, an allegation that the protesters deny.

In response to the situation, Poland's Infrastructure Minister, Andrzej Adamczyk, has written to Ukraine requesting exemptions for EU drivers with empty trucks from the electronic queuing system at least at two crossings. The ministry has also called for the establishment of a joint committee, led by European Commissioner for Transport Adina Valean, to analyze the effects of lifting permit requirements in the EU's transport market.

However, the truckers express frustration over the lack of attention and constructive talks from both the outgoing Polish government and the anticipated coalition of pro-European Union parties set to assume power following the recent national election.

While the formation of a new government dominates attention in Poland, the far-right Confederation party has emerged as the most vocal supporter of the protests, with the mainstream opposition attributing responsibility for the situation to the outgoing nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) government.

In addition to the truckers' blockade, farmers in Medyka have also joined the protest, demanding continued government support to cope with low grain prices.

Currently, only two trucks per hour are being allowed through the Medyka crossing, with exceptions made for humanitarian aid and war supplies.

With Ukraine's Black Sea ports largely inaccessible due to tensions with Russia, Ukrainian businesses heavily rely on roads and railways to reroute their exports and imports.