Ćudić announced charging vehicles for entering the city center, Šteta said it is not being considered or prepared

(Patria) - The president of Our Party, Sabina Ćudić, announced unpopular measures on Friday, such as closing parts of the city to traffic, in order to reduce pollution in Sarajevo.

"Clean air does not stop at the canton border. The problem is traffic and individual fireplaces. We are investing huge funds in public transport, railways, and building insulation. We will see the results of this intensive work in three to five years. At the same time, we must also implement unpopular measures such as closing parts of the city to traffic," said Ćudić.

She confirmed that the realization of the loan from the EBRD for environmental projects has been prepared, not only in Sarajevo but also in Tuzla and Zenica, emphasizing that systemic cooperation of all levels of government is key.

When asked why the government in the Sarajevo Canton is failing to combat pollution, Ćudić pointed out that the problem has become unbearable because no work has been done for decades on alternatives to individual transport.

"Today, children from Hadžići, Ilidža, and Tarčin go to school by train, and before that, it was three different vans. This is the result of our insistence on the budget for railways. However, the number of individual vehicles in Sarajevo is constantly growing, and every year we have more registered cars than residents. We will have to take steps that will not be popular, such as charging special tariffs for vehicles entering the city center, following the example of European metropolises," stated Ćudić.

It did not take long for this announcement to cause reactions, so the Minister of Transport of the Sarajevo Canton, Adnan Šteta, also made a statement, given that he received many inquiries.

"After the television appearance of Ms. Sabina Ćudić, I received many inquiries about whether entry into the city center will be charged. I inform the public that the Ministry of Transport of KS is not considering or preparing any charges for entry into the city center," stated Šteta.

This is not the first time that parties from the coalition in KS have made different statements and announcements, and then denied each other. Examples like this show how that coalition functions.