The Logistics Consortium of Bosnia and Herzegovina warns the public and institutions that the situation in the international road transport sector is deteriorating dramatically.
“After several weeks of problems at the border with the Republic of Croatia and the mass return of professional drivers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, today we are faced with a new phase of pressure. According to information from the sector, professional drivers have begun to be brought to police stations on the territory of the Republic of Croatia, with the imposition of a six-month ban on entry into Schengen for drivers with Bosnia and Herzegovina passports,” they stated.
Although it is not formally a matter of deprivation of liberty, the very fact that drivers are detained and banned from entering is an alarming signal for the entire transport sector of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
They state that the application of the rule of 90/180 days of stay in the Schengen area, as well as the introduction of the Entry-Exit System (EES), are already leading to serious disruptions in international transport.
“In some weeks, more than 300 professional drivers were returned from the border, which directly affects the realization of goods exports and the functioning of supply chains. If this trend continues, the consequences for the transport sector of Bosnia and Herzegovina will be dramatic,” they warned.
Estimates from the sector indicate that in the first phase, a large number of transport companies could be shut down, the loss of up to 20,000 jobs, and the country’s exports and logistics system could be seriously threatened.
“A special problem is the structure of the transport sector. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, transport companies are the most vulnerable to restrictions on the work of drivers in international transport in the entire region. If a professional driver can work only 15 days a month in international transport, the business model of most transport companies becomes unsustainable. In such a situation, transport will not disappear – it will be replaced by foreign carriers, but at significantly higher prices”, they stated.
Estimates from the sector show that the price of transport with foreign carriers will be 1,000 to 1,500 euros higher per transport operation, which will ultimately be paid for by the domestic economy and the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“Unfortunately, instead of a strong institutional response, we are witnessing the postponement of solving the problem through working groups, the absence of political lobbying towards European Union institutions and the lack of coordination with neighboring countries. The formation of working groups and postponing meetings does not solve the problem – it is only buying time while the transport sector slowly dies”, they added.
That is why the Plenum of the Logistics Consortium of Bosnia and Herzegovina, at an extraordinary session, confirmed that March 23 remains the date of protest activities.
“The transport sector of Bosnia and Herzegovina represents one of the key economic branches, the value of which is estimated at several billion euros per year. That is why we warn once again that this is no longer just a problem for drivers and transport companies. This is a question of the economic survival of the logistics system of Bosnia and Herzegovina. If a serious political dialogue with the institutions of the European Union and neighboring countries is not urgently initiated, the consequences will be felt by the entire economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina”, is the conclusion of the Logistics Consortium of BiH, which is transmitted Klix.
