While the residents of Crmnica, Virpazar and the surrounding villages are preparing to block Sozina again tonight, the Monteput company cites numerous reasons why they are not in favor of changes to the Law on Roads, which provide for free passage through the tunnel for citizens north of the toll plaza.
The residents of Crmni announced that they will not allow vehicles to pass through that section today from 18.30:20 p.m. to 30:XNUMX p.m., repeating that they will continue the protests until their conditions are met.
Several citizens told Vijesti that it is unacceptable for one of the key roadways to the coast to be blocked again in the height of the tourist season, especially on weekends when the frequency of already heavy traffic is increased.
The management of the state-owned enterprise Monteput told the News that the amendments to the Law on Roads are not good for several reasons, because, among other things, "they are not in accordance with the directives of the European Union".
They explained that on this occasion they held three meetings - the first with the representatives of the group of locals who are the initiators of the protest, the second with the group of locals who are the organizers of the protest and representatives of the local community of Crmnica, and the third where representatives of the Municipality of Bar were also present.
"Monteput proposed that the toll costs for Crmnica residents be subsidized from the profits of 'Monteput' by the decision of the Government. At the last meeting, it was agreed that the representatives of Crmnica residents define the categories of the population that need toll subsidies", said the company.
They claim that the amendments to the law would not be in accordance with the EU Directive 2022/362, because, as they say, the opinion of the European Commission on the matter emphasizes that it is not possible to completely exempt frequent users from paying tolls.
They emphasized that the European Commission refers to Article 7i(2a) of that directive - stating that instead of exemption from toll payment, it is only possible to grant discounts or reduction of toll fees and that for frequent users...
They assessed that the proposed amendments are not in accordance with the Law on the Ratification of the Stabilization and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their member states on the one hand, and Montenegro on the other hand, because in Protocol 4 on land transport, Article 13, paragraph 1 , stipulates that "the contracting parties accept that road use fees for road vehicles, tolls and other fees shall be mutually non-discriminatory".
"The adoption of amendments to the Law would violate the provisions of the Law on Ratification of the Stabilization and Association Agreement, as well as EU regulations regulating the area of toll collection, which is directly related to the closure of Chapter 14 - Transport Policy and Chapter 21 - Trans European Networks. Also, if the Law were to be adopted in this form, there are no clear provisions and closer conditions for its implementation, and this especially refers to the transitional period for the implementation of the Law", they stated from "Monteput".
Part of the inhabitants of Virpazar, Crmnica and the surrounding villages, in a letter that the newspaper had access to, demand a permanent solution for passing through the tunnel for the men and women of Crmničan, social responsibility towards the local community, which will be reflected in the investment of funds for the development and support of the local population and employment Crmničana.
At the meeting on Friday, they said, they agreed with the management of the state-owned company that they would provide them with guidelines and suggestions and thus bring them closer to how it should all look like in practice.
One of the proposals they will send is to make the passage free for passenger cars and motorbikes and not for trucks and buses, which is one way to prevent abuse.
"We want 'Monteput' to have a legal obligation, for the Government of Montenegro or the Ministry of Transport to oblige them and declare themselves in relation to this initiative. We want to see an official seal, not agreements and verbal promises," they said.
They emphasized that they expect the two largest parliamentary clubs in the Parliament of Montenegro, DPS and Movement Europe, to now publicly state their position on this issue, because they believe that they have not done so clearly enough so far.
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