Transport companies from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia have agreed that it is necessary to launch protests again, but for now they cannot agree on the exact date. They note that the demands remain identical, requesting that drivers be granted visas for long-term stays in the Schengen area and that the 90/180 rule, which also applies to tourists, should not apply to them.
For now, transport companies from Bosnia and Herzegovina are in the most difficult position, considering that in the previous period 150 drivers were turned back from the Croatian border. They received a ban on staying in the Schengen territory, and employers are now wondering how they will pay their salaries, given that they will not be able to drive the already contracted routes.
They see a positive signal coming from Croatia, where they were promised that work would be done on issuing special permits under which drivers will be able to stay on the territory of Schengen longer than they would otherwise be able to, even though they are not employed in companies that operate within the territory of the European Union.
“This time we must not allow them to trick us again, that is, without concrete solutions we remain at the borders. We stay there until further notice,” said Đorđije Lješnjak from the Transport Association of Montenegro.
They see April 10 as “D-Day”, when the new entry-exit rule will begin to be strictly applied.
The 90/180 rule had previously applied to Schengen as well, but it was mostly “overlooked”.
Now this rule will be strictly applied, and the system will monitor whether you have exceeded the number of permitted days of stay, and the border guard will issue a ban on entry into the Schengen area on the spot.
Decision on Monday
Transport companies from the Western Balkans will make a decision on Monday about when they will again block crossings for freight vehicles, Neđo Mandić, president of the business association International Transport, told Tanjug.
“On Monday, at the board meetings, we will make decisions,” said Mandić.
Earlier today, Mandić stated that transport companies from all Western Balkan countries agree to simultaneously block freight crossings again over the limited stay of transport workers on the territory of the Schengen zone.
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Source: Euronews, Foto: N1