New transport protest from April 14th, no blockade of the Port of Bar

The Association of Transporters of Montenegro will organize a new protest and blockade of freight traffic, which will last throughout the country from 10 am on April 14th until the same time on April 17th, but this time they will not stop the entry and exit to the Port of Bar, "Vijesti" has learned.

They will also ask the Police Directorate to continue this strike after April 17th, if their problems are not resolved.

As "Vijesti" has learned, the carriers are dissatisfied with the operating conditions and do not want to protest, but they believe they are forced to because their demands have still not been met, even though they received promises from the Government at the end of January.

They have already stopped freight traffic once, from January 26th to 29th, and the blockades were then lifted after negotiations with the Government.

They are also planning the protest because the European Commission working group did not approve an exemption for transporters from the Western Balkans from the new Schengen rules, which come into force on April 10, which transporters have been warning about for months and for which they believe the government has not represented them sufficiently. At a press conference held on March 22, representatives of the association said that 90 percent of Montenegrin drivers will not be able to drive to EU countries from April 10, because they have already filled their quota of 90 working days for a period of six months.

In addition, the Government has still not fulfilled their demands for VAT refunds within the legally stipulated deadline, extended work of phytosanitary and veterinary services, no preferential working years for drivers have been introduced, no working group has been formed that would include them and representatives of institutions related to the transport sector...