Free public transport in Sarajevo Canton when Alert episode is declared again

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The Government of Sarajevo Canton held a press conference today regarding air pollution, announcing the distribution of protective masks and air purifiers to socially vulnerable citizens. The introduction of free public transport is planned when the Alert measure is declared again. The government lifted the Alert measure today, while keeping the Warning in effect. 

Prime Minister Edin Forto said that on Monday he will hold a meeting with representatives of embassies and foreign organizations based in Sarajevo Canton to seek financial assistance in solving this problem, given that the budget has not been adopted nor has a decision on temporary financing been made.

"This is something that needs to be addressed over a longer period. We have adopted emergency measures that were not well implemented on the ground. Sanctioning vehicles is a major problem. We have learned that without some legislative changes, it is very difficult to remove from traffic people who should not be driving those vehicles under these conditions. Following the reports we received and the address of the inspection authority, we will proceed with legislative changes and initiate an initiative towards the federal level of government. We currently do not have the ability to sanction vehicles that do not meet standards during technical inspections ourselves," Forto said.

Minister of Spatial Planning of Sarajevo Canton Damir Filipović said that this year they had 293 applicants who met the conditions for the thermal insulation project and that, with the eight million KM they spent on gas subsidies, they could have realized it.

Minister of Transport of Sarajevo Canton Adnan Šteta said that there are 33 more public transport vehicles on the streets of Sarajevo Canton than last year. There is a plan to increase the number of trams and trolleybuses. 

"We will invest in infrastructure, the construction of the Ilidža-Hrasnica railway line, a new trolleybus network, and all of this will be completed in the next two years. The plan is for 95 public transport vehicles to be environmentally friendly," Šteta said.

At the meeting with the international community, representatives of the Sarajevo Canton Government will seek a way to, in the first phase, equip preschool institutions with air purifiers, in order to alleviate the effects of pollution in future periods of "Warning" and "Alert".

The public will be continuously informed about episodes of air pollution and the measures in effect, their implementation, and the possible introduction of new measures.