Traffic collapse in Belgrade it has long been no longer just a matter of nervousness behind the wheel - it is a political, economic and developmental issue that affects every citizen. That's exactly what was talked about stands "Who blocks the city" of the weekly "Vreme".
The participants of the forum - academician Dušan Teodorović, president of the trade union "Center GSP" Ivan Banković, representative of the association "Streets for cyclists" Zoran Bukvić, editor of Forbes Serbia Ivan Radak and city councilor of the Kreni-promeni movement Savo Manojlović, agree on one thing: traffic chaos is not accidental, but the result of bad decisions, corruption and the complete absence of strategic planning.
Academician Dušan Teodorović pointed out the basic problem - the discrepancy between the number of vehicles and the capacity of the city. According to him, about 1,6 million people live in Belgrade and there are about 700.000 registered cars. "If we all take to the streets in cars, collapse is inevitable," he said, adding that the only long-term solution is to develop the metro and manage travel needs. Teodorović clearly says that Belgrade must be a city of public transport, not cars, but that this will not happen while SNS is in power.
"Citizens cannot expect any improvement in traffic while the SNS regime is in power," he said.
Speaking about the subway project in Belgrade, he said that the way the lines were made was bad.
"There is no evidence that such a network of lines is the best solution. I don't believe that this regime will ever do anything on the subway plan. That is one of the tasks that will await the new government," Teodorović said.
Photo: TimeTribune of Time
Corruption and incompetence
Savo Manojlović emphasizes that the problem is deeper than the infrastructure itself. "The key problems are corruption and the lack of skilled people," he says, pointing out that Belgrade is growing without any plan. According to him, the government failed to start and finish any key infrastructure project from start to finish, while the city is developing spontaneously, under the influence of investor urbanism. He especially points out the absurdity that Belgrade still does not have a subway.
When asked how the city's money is spent, Ivan Banković presents worrying data: a quarter of the budget goes to public transport, but new vehicles are financed from loans and leasing. "Where does that money go?" he asked, warning of the "tycoonization" of public transport and the fact that GSP has several times fewer lines than private carriers. The consequences, as he says, are suffered by all citizens.
Ivan Radak adds that the infrastructure simply does not follow the development of the city. "Buildings are built first, then roads," he says, pointing to the paradox that Belgrade was somewhat "saved" by the fact that many people left it. Speaking about the development of the metro, he says that the city does not need it economically.
On the other hand, Zoran Bukvić from the association "Streets for Cyclists" points to the need for a different concept of development than the current one: moving traffic from the center, forming rings and developing alternative forms of movement such as cycling. "You can't push everything into the city center," he said.
Belgrade is not only suffocating in cars, but also in bad management, the interlocutors concluded. Without a change in priorities, a greater role of the profession and investment in sustainable forms of transport, traffic jams will remain everyday, and the quality of life will continue to decline.
This was the third forum of the weekly "Vreme" from a series of discussions devoted to key issues that affect life in Belgrade.
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