Belgrade Transport Union Blacklists Carriers Over Faulty Air Conditioning

The GSP "Centar" workers' union and the Association of Public Transport Users in Belgrade have jointly released a "black list" of bus carriers that have received the highest number of public complaints. The grievances largely stem from drivers neglecting to activate air conditioning systems in their buses during the hottest periods of the year, or engaging in other deceptive practices with the cooling units.

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From the beginning of the 'Together on the Road' portal, we promised to publicly and transparently disclose to citizens who the carriers are, who are paid with public money, and who behave arrogantly and irresponsibly towards users of public transport services in Belgrade.

Ivan Banković, president of the GSP "Centar" union, stated that transparency regarding public carriers funded by taxpayer money is a core principle. He expressed frustration that some carriers and their owners appear to believe they are above the law, shirking their responsibility to provide functioning air conditioning during extreme heat. This negligence, he added, not only causes discomfort but also endangers the health of both passengers and drivers.

Between July 16 and August 3, the "Together on the Road" portal received 785 complaints specifically about air conditioning issues. Since the portal's inception on June 19, a total of 3,040 complaints have been logged regarding air conditioning irregularities alone.

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It is obvious that some carriers and the owners of these companies think they are above the law and can avoid the obligation to turn on air conditioners in their vehicles in tropical temperatures, fail to repair breakdowns for days, and thus gain extra profit while simultaneously endangering the health of both passengers and drivers who operate these buses.

The carriers topping the list of complaints include ASP "Strela-Obrenovac," owned by Miroslav Nikolić; "Banbus Obrenovac," owned by Filip Kovačević; "Transprodukt-bus prevoz" Beograd, owned by Svetlana Milanović; "Lui travel" Beograd, owned by Miodrag Stojiljković; and "C&LC Group" Zemun, owned by Jasmina Savić. Within the public transport company GSP, the "Karaburma" operational unit, directed by Žarko Koman, and the "Dorćol" unit, managed by Bojan Tasić, also received significant complaints.

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From July 16 to August 3, over 785 citizen reports were received through the 'Together on the Road' portal, and since the portal's inception on June 19, a total of 3,040 reports have been received solely for irregularities in vehicle air conditioning.

Banković highlighted that two-thirds of all complaints were related to routes operated by these carriers. Instances reported include air conditioning being switched off, ventilation being used instead of cooling, warm air blowing into the bus during temperatures exceeding 38 degrees Celsius, windows being unable to open in non-air-conditioned buses, or air conditioning being activated only when inspectors boarded. The union plans to file reports against the listed carriers and responsible individuals, emphasizing that financial penalties are necessary to enforce compliance and ensure carriers fulfill their contractual obligations to the city's residents.

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For the lines operated by these carriers, as many as two-thirds of the total number of citizen complaints were received. Situations were recorded where air conditioning was not turned on, ventilation was used instead of cooling, warm air blew into the vehicle while outside temperatures exceeded 38 degrees Celsius, but also situations where windows in vehicles without air conditioning could not be opened or the air conditioning was turned on only when a control entered the vehicle.