In the 132 years since its inception, the City Transport Company (GSP) is currently facing its most challenging situation, according to a statement from the trade unions Sloga, Pravda, Centar and the Belgrade Public Transport Employees’ Union. Today, on October 14, we commemorate the ceremonial launch of the tram line from Kalemegdan to Slavija, marking the beginning of a vital service in Belgrade’s history.
“Rather than celebrating this significant milestone, which placed us among the first cities in Europe to implement tram transport, we must instead highlight the numerous issues plaguing public transport in Belgrade, which have reached unprecedented levels,” the unions assert.
The unions emphasize that recent years, particularly the last two, have seen a series of detrimental decisions from the city government that have further deteriorated public transport. Despite increasing allocations from the city budget, the situation has worsened. “We have transitioned from a ticketing system used by major global cities to a dysfunctional model that generates minimal revenue from ticket sales,” they state.
The last tram depot was established in 1988, and the last bus depot in 1982. Although there were official plans for new depots over two decades ago, little progress has been made. “Instead of expanding the tram network and adapting to the city’s growth and citizens’ needs, we find ourselves with aging trams and diminishing operational speeds, while there are proposals to shorten or eliminate certain lines, including the well-known line ‘2’,” they add.
The unions criticize the current mayor for diminishing GSP’s role and increasing the influence of private companies with questionable reputations, which neglect the standards required for public transport.
They also address issues with private carriers. “Instead of qualified personnel, citizens are being transported by numerous inexperienced drivers from private companies, resulting in further chaos on the streets, with buses running behind schedule. Instead of investing in high-quality vehicles from reputable European manufacturers, Belgrade has opted for CNG buses from Turkish manufacturers, becoming their largest customer in the past three years.”
The unions express frustration over the city’s focus on superficial changes, such as repainting buses, instead of addressing the urgent systemic issues within the public transport system.
“The new bus color will not alter the reality that all public transport users witness daily. Public transportation has become increasingly unreliable, and each decision from the city government pushes us further back in time,” they warn.
