OLENIVKA. Aug 27 (Interfax) - A crossing point between Ukraine and the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) on the outskirts of Donetsk was put on a trial run on Tuesday following reconstruction, an Interfax correspondent reported.
"The Olenivka crossing point is entering a trial run today. It will be able to reach full capacity within the foreseeable future. All of these steps were taken in response to complaints submitted to the administration by our citizens who need to cross the contact line and travel to the territory of Ukraine," DPR head Denis Pushilin said during a visit to the checkpoint.
The DPR authorities will now have to increase the staff of the self-proclaimed republic's border and customs services, a measure that will also help enhance the crossing point's throughput capacity five times over, Pushilin said.
"We are pursuing a pilot project aimed at building crossing points with Ukraine, and will subsequently do the same with the Russian Federation. Today, it is going to help seriously ease social tensions as comfortable conditions for people's movement have been created. Its throughput capacity currently stands at 65%, or 12,000 people a day. We plan to increase this to 100%-120%," DPR Revenue and Duties Minister Yevgeny Lavrenov told reporters.
Another three crossing points along the contact line with Ukraine are currently being rebuilt as well, Lavrenov said.
The authorities of the DPR earlier started to rebuild crossing points between the self-proclaimed republic and Ukraine as part of efforts to increase their daily throughput capacity and improve the conditions at checkpoints for citizens who have to wait to cross the contact line.