Construction of the new Main Bus Station building in Belgrade’s Block 42, valued at around 57 million euros, has been stopped following a legal challenge filed by one of the bidders, Nova.rs reported.
The project was awarded to a consortium led by companies owned by Dragoljub Zbiljić, a businessman with close ties to the Serbian Progressive Party, and Nikola Malbaša, a businessman close to Belgrade Mayor Aleksandar Šapić. The consortium includes eight companies, with the majority of work (63.53%) assigned to Malbaša’s company “Jadran” from Belgrade.
The tender, announced in October 2024, received three bids. Although other bids were lower, they were rejected due to failing to meet technical and professional requirements. The winning consortium also includes companies linked to Zbiljić, known for infrastructure projects and ties to public institutions, and several other firms involved in notable state projects.
The public procurement procedure has faced multiple delays. Earlier complaints by the losing bidder, Štrabag, included allegations of biased tender documents favoring specific equipment manufacturers and demanding engineers with exclusive Cisco certification, which they argued limited competition.
After an initial suspension last year, the tender process resumed in March 2025 but is now again halted pending a decision by the Republican Commission for the Protection of Rights in Public Procurement Procedures following the recent challenge by Štrabag.
The station building is planned to cover 27,000 square meters with a distinctive rectangular shape resembling a stretched Cyrillic “P.” The project includes multiple construction phases: the station plateau (completed), the station building itself, and the surrounding square and internal roads.
The delay impacts a major infrastructure project intended to modernize Belgrade’s transport hub, with no clear timeline for resumption until the procurement disputes are resolved.
