Serbian President intervenes in Belgrade transport dispute

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has stepped in to address issues faced by Belgrade's public transport company, GSP, intervening to suspend a public-private partnership with Strela from Obrenovac. This action came after GSP workers, feeling ignored by city officials, sought the president's help.

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You are holding your thumbs up for us, that's it.

Workers from the GSP Centar Union expressed optimism following a meeting with Vučić. Ivan Banković, a representative of the union, stated that the president promised to help and confirmed that the public-private partnership with Strela would be suspended. He also indicated that the tender for 60 new trolleybuses is expected to be successfully realized with state assistance. However, the procurement of 220 new buses will be delayed, reportedly due to Belgrade's difficult financial situation.

Banković voiced disappointment that Belgrade Mayor Aleksandar Šapić was not present at the meeting, expressing a preference to discuss the issues directly with the mayor. He highlighted that the union felt ignored by city institutions until they reached the president, emphasizing that such matters should primarily be handled by the mayor.

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I can't promise you anything, but I will try to help.

Nikola Jovanović from the Center for Local Self-Government criticized the situation, calling it "unbelievable" that the president had to get involved in a city-level issue. He suggested this indicates a collapse in city institutions and a lack of focus on core problems by the mayor. Jovanović also pointed to the dire financial state of GSP, which owes billions of dinars to suppliers and faces threats of bankruptcy. Furthermore, private carriers are reportedly threatening to halt services due to four months of unpaid dues from the city.

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The public-private partnership and the tender with Strela will be suspended, and we expect the tender for 60 new trolleybuses to be successfully realized with the help of the state.

Attempts to get a response from the mayor's office regarding these issues, including the mayor's absence from the meeting and President Vučić's involvement, remain unanswered.

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Why the mayor didn't come is not a question for me. I would have preferred to meet him personally and discuss it, even if we disagreed. That is his job. We were ignored by all institutions until we reached the president, and you are right that the mayor should primarily deal with this.