Here is what the Transport Guild requests from the relevant institutions

The transport industry is burdened with problems common to all trades, such as high operating costs, various administrative barriers, inability to collect receivables, frequent changes in laws and regulations, blockades and enforcement actions, unfair competition, insufficient sources of financing, as well as specific issues of the profession.

This was stated by the president of the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts (HOK) Dragutin Ranogajec, opening today the 8th meeting of transporters in Vinkovci. “All of us craftsmen,” said Ranogajec, “need an encouraging legislative framework, tax laws that will not change for at least five years, the removal of barriers to business, as well as a young educated workforce. In order to stop the negative trends in craftsmanship, the state must put craftsmanship at the focus of economic policy, reduce bureaucracy, simplify the legislative framework, and create a stimulating business environment for growth and the opening of new jobs.”

The president of the Transport Guild of HOK, Emilijo Bajlo, emphasized that a large number of Croatian transporters are currently operating with negative or minimal profitability. He also noted that the increasing overall share of foreign transporters in road freight transport is concerning, with estimates suggesting they account for about 40% of total transport in both exports and imports.

– Looking back two years, certain positive shifts in this sector have occurred, largely as a result of the cooperation between the Transport Guild and the relevant ministry and other institutions. However, there are still unresolved issues, the most significant of which is the general lack of competitiveness of domestic transporters compared to those from neighboring countries, concluded Bajlo.

Ante Nevešćanin from the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, the sponsor of this year’s meeting, stated that EU membership has brought a number of advantages regarding the performance of transport activities, especially in road freight transport. However, we have encountered other problems, such as a shortage of drivers for freight vehicles and buses, the introduction of minimum wage rules in Germany, and the obligation to fill out additional forms that complicate the performance of road transport activities.

Milan Barišić from the Road Traffic Safety Service of the Police Directorate noted that in 2015, road traffic safety was worse than in 2014. There were 32,000 traffic accidents recorded, resulting in 348 fatalities, which is 13% more than the previous year. In the structure of accident participants, freight vehicles account for 6%, buses for 3%, and 10 truck drivers were killed.

Based on the discussion and presentations, the Transport Guild adopted conclusions that will be sent to the relevant institutions:

1. The Transport Guild of the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts welcomes the readiness of the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure for more frequent operational meetings between representatives of transporters and representatives of the MPPI. HOK will work through operational meetings with the ministry to address the issues of transport defined in the conclusions of this meeting.

2. We urgently request the ratification of the “second” CMR convention adopted by the Protocol on the amendment of CMR 197, which came into force in 1980. According to information that the legal basis for signing the agreement is already being prepared by the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure and the Ministry of the Interior, we will request that it be implemented as soon as possible.

3. The Transport Guild of HOK insists that based on the new EU Directive on vehicle technical inspections (45), the Road Traffic Safety Act be amended, i.e., that preventive technical inspections of vehicles and the obligation of homologation of new and used vehicles produced and purchased in the EU be abolished by a subordinate act.

4. The problem of vehicle overload has still not been resolved. We insist on the requirement that based on Article 154 of the Road Traffic Safety Act, the issue be resolved in a way that ensures equal distribution of responsibility for vehicle overload between transporters and cargo loaders.

5. The Transport Guild requests that the RTV fee be paid as a flat amount for all vehicles on an annual basis.

6. Since the new driving licenses do not allow business owners to see possible traffic bans for certain categories by drivers, we request that the Ministry of the Interior inform the business owner and the company if such a measure has been implemented against their employee.

7. Foreign transporters operating through the Republic of Croatia are required to register and pay VAT for transport carried out in the territory of the Republic of Croatia. We request systematic and more frequent checks of foreign transporters upon entry into the Republic of Croatia and on the roads of the Republic of Croatia.

8. We request the abolition of the obligation to employ escorts on tourist excursion boats.

9. Shuttle transport and occasional passenger transport must be more clearly defined by the Road Transport Act. The method of transporting passengers via the Uber application, based on existing legal regulations, is illegal and should be sanctioned as such.

10. We request greater and higher-quality incentives for the retraining of professional drivers and easier entry for young people into this segment of the labor market. If these measures do not yield the desired results, we request higher quotas for the employment of foreign workers in transport (professional drivers).