Transport Ministry claims it respects agreements with truckers

THERE IS no reason for freight hauliers to strike, according to Transport Minister Ján Počiatek. He responded to the earlier threat of the Slovak Union of Motor Carriers (UNAS) that they will launch a strike if the government does not guarantee it will fulfil its promise to make changes to the toll system by March 7.

THERE IS no reason for freight hauliers to strike, according to Transport Minister Ján Počiatek. He responded to the earlier threat of the Slovak Union of Motor Carriers (UNAS) that they will launch a strike if the government does not guarantee it will fulfil its promise to make changes to the toll system by March 7.

The transport minister stressed that they have always respected the agreements with hauliers. He also expressed hope that road haulers will not get themselves drawn into this “transparent political game”.

“I reiterate, on behalf of the Transport Ministry, that we have respected our agreements and implement them in the form of individual legislative changes,” Počiatek said, as quoted by the TASR newswire, after meeting with representatives of self-governing regions.

UNAS and the Transport Ministry have already agreed on several changes, including no fees for roads in urban areas as of March 15, as well as no fees for lower-class roads and for uncharged first-class roads, and setting the fines to equal the European average. The association, however claims that “nothing has been committed to paper” and suspect the ministry of “pulling the wool over their eyes”, as reported by TASR.

The meeting with governors on March 6 came in a reaction to a number of concessions made by the Transport Ministry to UNAS. The governors are concerned mostly about the agreement to scrap fees for driving through villages, as they, together with representatives of towns and villages, were seeking ways to have heavy freight traffic diverted away from towns in order to protect roads and buildings.

Žilina regional Governor Juraj Blanár wants UNAS representatives to pay a direct visit to villages and learn how much their inhabitants are pestered by trucks in transit.

In response, UNAS pointed out that freight haulers are not responsible for the inadequate and sub-par quality of infrastructure in Slovakia, as reported by TASR.

Source: TASR

To read more about this story please see: UNAS announces general strike

Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports

The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.

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