Congestion on city streets and illegal parking remain a daily problem for the citizens of Podgorica.
The Capital City Inspection Department states that the traffic collapse cannot be solved without systemic changes and additional responsibilities at the local level.
Since the beginning of this year, around 130 vehicles have been moved, while over 12 illegally parked cars were removed last year.
"We have up to 200 reports on a daily basis. It is very difficult to move all those vehicles if we keep in mind that one spider vehicle, depending on the traffic jams during the day, can move seven to eight vehicles per shift, and we have four or five of them per shift," Branko Kovačević, director of the Capital City Inspection Department, told Boje jutra on Vijesti Television.
It is expected that amendments to the Traffic Safety Law will make moving vehicles by spider tow truck twice as expensive, and some responsibilities, such as controlling illegally stopped vehicles, issuing misdemeanor warrants, and the "Falcon's Eye" system, could be transferred to local governments.
"At one point, we had an agreement with the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP). However, in further negotiations, we were told that they could not transfer this to local self-government for certain reasons. If the Ministry were doing its job as prescribed by law, we would not need this. They simply do not have enough employees, which is visible on the streets, although I hope that the situation will improve with the hiring of new employees. Currently, this part is almost not controlled," adds Kovačević.
The Administration reminds that controls on catering facilities have also been intensified, especially when it comes to noise, and that around 300 sound limiters have been installed in the previous period.
The full implementation of the new Decision on Pets has also been announced, with the hiring of a special inspector, and the new Decision on Temporary Facilities allows inspectors to conduct clearer and more efficient controls.
When it comes to cleaning the Mareze River, a decision has been made to remove the fence and floodlight near the DG Arena. If the owners fail to act within the given deadline, the competent authorities will carry out the work according to the legal procedure.
Kovačević says that for a long-term solution to traffic problems, it is necessary to strengthen inspection capacities and clarify legal responsibilities at the local level.
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