“We want to make confiscating passenger vehicles from arrogant, hung-over drivers a regular practice. If this is the practice in Zenica, if it is in Republika Srpska, why can’t it also be in Sarajevo,” asked Admir Katica, Minister of Internal Affairs of Sarajevo Canton, in a guest appearance on Dnevnik 2 BHT1. He announced a meeting for tomorrow with the representatives of the Misdemeanor Department of the Municipal Court in Sarajevo, in order to implement this measure.
“It is definitely clear that in the fight against drunken, arrogant drivers, against such traffic killers, the only method is confiscation of passenger motor vehicles, but – this has been repeated several times by police professionals – in communication with the Misdemeanor Department of the Municipal Court, which orders this kind of confiscation of vehicles, something is missing. We have called a meeting for tomorrow with the representatives of the Misdemeanor Department from the Municipal Court in Sarajevo. I hope we will reach a solution,” said Minister Katica.
In an interview with BHRT, Katica said that the Ministry is undertaking activities regarding traffic safety that are not initiated only by what is happening at the moment.
“We have been doing a lot to make citizens as safe as possible in traffic. Unfortunately, traffic accidents like this happen. It is definitely clear that these kinds of events undermine citizens’ sense of security. What we are announcing is, in fact, a continuation of the measures that, in particular, undertaken by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Canton of Sarajevo, based on a document that we adopted last year. In that document, we fully investigated the issue of traffic delinquency in the area of the Canton of Sarajevo and proposed a set of measures and how these measures will be implemented. We have a coordinator for the implementation of Mr. Semir Šut, who is a former police commissioner in the Zenica-Doboj Canton and who obtained results in this matter. That’s why we need such a practice here as well, and that was my reason last year why I did it,” said the minister.
Answering the question of how it is possible that the driver, who caused the accident in which a young girl was killed on Friday, had unpaid misdemeanor fines in the amount of about two thousand convertible marks, while the majority of citizens bear the consequences in case of non-payment of one fine, Katica said that the Ministry of Interior is a law enforcement agency that applies the law as it is.
“We point out those gaps that need to be improved in order to be more efficient in our work. We have submitted such proposals to the Federal Ministry of Justice, regarding the Law on Misdemeanors, and also to the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is the adopter, proposer of the Law on the Basics of Traffic Safety. When we mention increasing sanctions, prison sentences, monetary sanctions, these are the addresses that should do it. I was in contact with the Minister of Transport and Communications, he told me that about ninety days ago he initiated the procedure to amend this law and that this law will be passed during this year. I eagerly await it, that we apply it, here and in the area of Sarajevo Canton, in order to be more efficient in our work. There are so many gaps that we have pointed out, which dull the edge of our efficiency,” stated Katica.
Asked about the announced measure of stricter speed limits in the city area, the minister said that he is aware of different opinions, considering that part of the public is not in favor of that measure.
“This was proposed by the Ministry of Transport at yesterday’s meeting of the Cantonal Government, and we accepted it. This measure is, in fact, part of the forthcoming proposal of the Law on Traffic Management in the Sarajevo Canton. Certainly, there will be discussions. There are different opinions on the matter. Some think that is good, we have cities in the European Union that have reduced the number of traffic accidents in this way, saved human lives, and at the same time made the city center an oasis for pedestrians, cyclists and everything that makes a city a city. On the other hand, there are indeed opinions that this will, in a way, deaden the traffic, that it will affect people who normally respect traffic regulations. I respect both opinions. Simply, we have to do something. Whether this is the right method, let the profession say,” says Katica.
Four interceptors and eight mobile radars are currently in operation in the Sarajevo Canton area. In the proposed guidelines, the MIA initiated the identification of critical places in Canton to which the police should pay special attention.
