The coordinator of the protest at the border crossing Orašje, Hidajet Muratović, said that transporters continue to gather peacefully due to, as he claims, months of ignoring the problems in the transport sector.
In a statement delivered to the media, Muratović warned that due to administrative obstacles and restrictions on entering the European Union, the existence of hundreds of drivers and their families is in question.
“Our peaceful gathering was properly and on time announced to the Ministry of Interior of the Posavina Canton. We emphasize that by law we are not obliged to ask for approval, but only to announce a gathering in order to express justified dissatisfaction. Although the Ministry of Interior later issued a ban, we did not ask for approval for the celebration, but announced the cry of despair of the sector that is shutting down. We are professionals in our workplaces, that is, in our cabins,” said Muratović.
As far as the local traffic police are concerned, the carriers point out that correct cooperation has been achieved.
“Although the officers write down vehicle registrations and fines will probably follow, we remain dignified. We respect the instructions of the police and the fact that the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) is engaged in the border control zone, and we did not enter that area. We have our own guards and actively ensure that passenger traffic runs smoothly,” Muratović pointed out.
According to him, BH. the institutions have been silently observing the decline of the transport sector for a full 14 months, and adds that the transporters will not give up until they receive concrete solutions.
“This is not a blockade out of whim, but a fight for the survival of 875 of our colleagues and the entire economy. Specifically, these are colleagues who were denied entry to the European Union (EU) with a truck and goods due to bureaucratic obstacles. The biggest problem arises on the return – if it is determined that the driver has exceeded the permitted stay (90 days in 180 days) due to delays at the borders or the specifics of the job, he receives high fines and an automatic ban on entering the EU for three to six months. This means that 875 families are left without bread, and our companies without a workforce, while the institutions of BiH have done nothing to protect their workers for 14 months,” said the statement of the coordinator of the protest at the Orašje Border Crossing, Hidajet Muratović.
