ZAGREB, 2 June, 2021 - The Croatian Employers' Association (HUP) and the SSSH trade union federation have asked Prime Minister Andrej Plenković for an urgent meeting on the regulation of regular public transport, stressing that if the meeting is not held, they "will be forced to take certain joint activities".

The answer and the date of the urgent meeting are expected by Friday, 4 June, at the latest, the associations said in a letter to the prime minister.

Employers and unionists say they have been "more than active" in proposing solutions and "more than patient" over the last three years, waiting for the final implementation of European and national regulations.

The HUP and the SSSH warn that the already ready legal solutions that were a prerequisite for signing contracts for regular public passenger transport on county and inter-county lines up to 100 kilometres are not implemented due to the inactivity of state administration bodies.

They also said that the decision had not yet been made on the distribution of funds from the state budget to counties, even though the funds, according to the SSSH and the HUP, had already been secured, and that public service contracts between counties and private transport companies involved in regular public passenger transport had not been signed yet.

"Private bus carriers from the HUP transport association account for 80% of the public transport on county and inter-county lines up to 100 kilometres and employ over 7,000 workers who are directly affected by such irresponsible behaviour of the relevant ministries," the HUP said.

Without a public service contract, the process of collective bargaining to improve working conditions in the transport sector is at a standstill and existing jobs are in jeopardy, they noted.

The operation of most public bus lines is at risk, especially in rural areas, and workers and private public transport providers haven't been able to plan their business and their companies' prospects for three years now, the HUP and the SSSH warned.

The HUP and the SSSH think that the government should make a decision on the distribution of funds from the state budget to counties (signatories of contracts with transport companies) at its next session.

They added that it was also necessary to stop discrimination against private bus carriers and their workers in relation to carriers owned by the public sector since private companies still didn't have public service contracts, while public companies did, for the same service.

They also think that it is necessary to continue with the job-retention subsidies for all companies that continue to register a decline in business and meet the prescribed criteria.

That is especially important, they said, for passenger transport on lines in rural areas, where the number of passengers is declining sharply, also because of the end of the school year and the holidays, and cannot be sustained without state support.

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January 7, 2021 – From the Bay of Bakar through the beaches of Rijeka to the opulence of Opatija and up, all the way to the border with Slovenia, Kvarner residents and visitors will be able to travel with just one ticket across the whole of the Rijeka integrated rail and bus network

An existing co-operation between rail and bus operators in Kvarner was today extended, allowing the Rijeka Integrated Rail and Bus network to continue for at least another year. This holds exciting implications for travel in the region for years to come.

Planned changes to the infrastructure of the coastal part of the north Kvarner Bay mean that within the Rijeka integrated rail and bus scheme, you will soon be able to travel from the Bay of Bakar, stop off at a series of Rijeka beaches, hop back on public transport to go to Opatija and even travel beyond the coast, all the way to the border with Slovenia, using just one ticket. Passengers will not be limited in their choice to travel by either aril or bus.


An Autotrolej bus, longtime providers of local bus services in Rijeka © Grad Rijeka

The Rijeka integrated rail and bus scheme, organised through Kvarner County, Rijeka, Matulji and Bakar Town Halls, rail and local bus operators is an eco-friendly drive that seeks to encourage people to leave their cars at home and instead choose public transport. However, access to the Rijeka integrated rail and bus network is not limited to commuting workers and travelling students. Although the scheme is most cost-effective using a monthly ticket, day tickets are available for the network which may be of huge appeal to visitors wishing to explore a wider portion of Kvarner's northern coast.


The train station of Opatija Matulji © Damir Covic 1939 / Matulji Tourist Board

Rijeka integrated rail and bus: International

What makes the extension of the Rijeka integrated rail and bus scheme even more welcome is the planned overhaul of infrastructure that will accompany it.

Fifteen extra stations will be added (or reactivated) on the route between Kantrida in the west of Rijeka, along the Rijeka seafront and on to the outskirts of Bakar. Furthermore, the entire train line from Bakar to Šapjane will be brought into the Rijeka integrated rail and bus scheme with the completion of a second train track along the route.

Trains along the line at Šapjane. Next stop Slovenia! © DiningCar_

Šapjane, in the municipality of Matulji, lies 20 kilometres inland, north of Opatija. It sits right on the border with Slovenia. The train line extends across this border, through the Slovenian town of Ilirska Bistrica, and then on to Postojna and Ljubljana, Italy or Austria. This means the Rijeka integrated rail and bus scheme will be directly linked to another green, international travel network.

These routes will all be linked to the incoming, double-tracked Pan-European fast train network, which, as TCN highlighted last year, will connect this part of Kvarner with France, Spain and Portugal in the west all the way to eastern Hungary via Zagreb and Budapest. Needless to say, it will require more than a single day ticket (cvikalica) from the Rijeka integrated rail and bus network to make such a journey!

Zagreb's ZET is set to introduce a brand new ticket. Whether or not Zagreb's citizens will actually purchase it is another story.

ZET's transport is plagued by people who for various reasons refuse to pay for its use. Excuses range from being dissatisfied by the quality of the vehicle, feeling the route is too long, or simply just wanting to get something for free.. This habit is known in Croatian as švercanje, and avoiding getting caught by a controller and paying a 250 kuna fine is a favourite ''extreme sport'' among many of Zagreb's residents.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 22nd of March, 2019, in kiosks permitted to sell ZET tickets, there will be three types of carts available for use on ZET vehicles, and exactly that same amount of different tickets will be available for purchase directly from the driver when on the vehicle itself. In other words, tickets costing four, seven and ten kuna will be available to buy from the driver, and these are valid for half an hour, an hour and an hour and a half of travel.

There will be the ability to purchase ZET tickets for six, ten and fifteen kuna from the driver, and these will also be worth half an hour, one hour, and ninety minutes, as they have stated from ZET adding that, in principle, only one brand new ticket will be introduced, which comes with a new six kuna price tag.

As Večernji list writes, the ticket which costs 10 kuna purchased from the driver will still have to visually differ from those purchased at kiosks, as it will not be valid for the same time period.

Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle page for much more. If it's just the Croatian capital you're interested in, give Total Zagreb a follow for everything you need to know that's going on in the city.

Velika Gorica locals aren't happy as as yet unofficial information that ZET could charge them more to use public transport that connects them to the capital has leaked to the media.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 22nd of January, 2019, Every year, Velika Gorica ZET subsidises about ten million kuna for the Zagreb-based company to be able to connect the Croatian capital city with other nearby areas around Velika Gorica, such as Mraclin, Poljana Čička, Strmec Bukevski, Kozjača... ZET is in charge of all sixteen lines which travel to these areas, and the contract whch was initially signed is now about to expire, which is why negotiations on extensions have begun.

But the subsidy that Velika Gorica pays to ZET could, according to the first calculations which have been discussed unofficially from that company, be even higher in the coming period. The news quickly spread to local media, leading concerned Velika Gorica residents to rightfully ask: Does this mean more expensive public transport?

''That's just what we're missing! God forbid that we get new buses for the residents in the neighbourhood. They're cold inside, the wind blows from all sides, they're old and they all shake,'' reads just one of the irritated comments caused by the news about possible price increases. Those who have been using bus number 268, which they have referred to as the "line from hell" connecting Velika Gorica to Zagreb don't sound much happier, either.

"We should negotiate more convenient transportation with regard to the condition they're in - there are often defective vehicles, unpleasant drivers, constant delays or skipping departures,'' added one Velike Gorica resident, adding that the monthly workers card costs as much as 610 kuna. Still, there is no official confirmation of the ticket price increase as yet, and Velika Gorica's administration have said that they will do anything to make sure their residents don't need to pay more.

''Negotiations are in progress and we can't say anything more specifically until they're over. The expiration contract lasted for ten years, it was signed in 2009, and the signing of the next one is a matter of agreement,'' they say from Velika Gorica. This is very similar to what they are saying from ZET, and details about the contract are still as yet unknown.

''However, as of now, the quality of service and passenger satisfaction are our imperatives, and Velika Gorica and ZET are socially sensitive partners and take care of the needs of all public transport users,'' they say from ZET.

The concession contract extension, or the possibility for a new one to be signed without the announcement of a public tender was made possible by a decision by Mayor Dražen Barišić back in 2017, and the majority of that was adopted by the City Council, but only if the contract is signed under the exact same conditions as previously, so it is not yet clear how these proposed price hikes could potentially fit into a new contract.

For news and everything you need to know as and when it happens, stay up to date by following our dedicated news page. If it's just the capital and the surrounding areas you're interested in, give Total Zagreb a follow.

Although ZET's fifteen kuna ticket that can be purchased in vehicles has hardly been a celebrated move, the four kuna ticket is still very much a hit among public transport users.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 18th of January, 2019, from the first day of next month, it will be possible to buy a new ticket at a lower price on ZET's buses and trams. Currently only the somewhat unpopular fifteen kuna ticket is currently available.

From February onwards, passengers on ZET's public buses and trams will be able to purchase tickets costing six and ten kuna, and the cheapest ones, standing at a price of four kuna, will still be available but only at kiosks, as opposed to on the vehicle itself.

"The tickets are currently being made because they will be different from those that can be bought from outside the vehicle and will have ''bought from the driver'' written on them,'' stated ZET's Anto Jelić.

He told Vecernji list that he believed that the six and ten kuna tickets would fully extinguish those currenty costing fifteen kuna, which have proved rather unpopular. As he explained, the new one that will be able to be bought for six kuna will be worth half an hour of travel, just like the one that one can currently buy outside of the tram or bus for four kuna.

In kiosks and sales points which are able to sell ZET tickets, you will be able to purchase a half an hour ticket costing four kuna, a one hour ticket of seven kuna and a one hour and thirty minute ticket of ten kuna. Tickets costing six and ten kuna will also be available for purchase in ZET's buses and trams themselves.

"This will now be a relief for both drivers and passengers, which is what we ultimately wanted," added Jelić.

Make sure to stay up to date by following our dedicated news page. If it's just the Croatian capital you're interested in, give Total Zagreb a follow.

The German carrier is one of the largest providers of passenger transport services in Europe, employing more than 60,000 people and achieving more than 2.2 billion journeys. Is Rijeka's Autotrolej, which has found itself enfeebled by a lack of drivers, forcing it to cut certain routes, in for a stroke of luck?

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 17th of January, 2019, the Croatian subsidiary of the popular German carrier Arriva wants to take over Rijeka's Autotrolej, as has since been confirmed by Arriva Croatia itself, which has already acquired ownership of Autotrans, one of the largest passenger carriers in the segment of passenger transport in the Republic of Croatia.

"We're interested in all forms of cooperation, so taking the entire share of ownership of KD Autotrolej also comes into it, of course, provided that there is a common interest and a healthy economic base," stated Marina Pandurević, Managing Director of Arriva Croatia for Novi list.

This very concise response came after the company was asked about the situation following information about Arriva's taking over of Autotrans and potential interest in taking over or entering into some sort of business partnership with Rijeka's Autotrolej having surfaced.

The large transport company confirmed that they are definitely interested in buying Autotrolej or entering into a sort of partnership with the current co-owners, therefore entering into business with Autotrolej as a logical continuation of their business in the Republic of Croatia, based on the experience of public transport in very many other European cities.

As stated, Arriva is one of Europe's largest passenger transport service providers, employing more than 60,000 people and achieving more than 2.2 billion journeys. The group operates in fourteen European countries offering a wide range of public transport services to suit all needs.

Make sure to stay up to date with the situation with Autotrolej and on public transport in Croatia in general by following our dedicated news, business and lifestyle pages for much more.

Cuts are happening in almost every sector across Croatia and in many other countries. While sometimes these cuts occur in sectors that we are fortunate enough to be able to overlook for the most part, public transport isn't one of them. The public transport cuts made in Rijeka, which have occurred primarily owing to a drop in the number of drivers, has seen some citizens of the Rijeka area left completely without a direct connection to the city centre.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 15th of January, 2019, as has been announced by Rijeka's public transport company, Autotrolej is unfortunately being forced into planning to abolish a number of departure points on their public transport lines, while part of the lines will have to run on a shortened route.

The new scheme for departures for Rijeka's public transport company has been put down to the gradually diminishing number of drivers. Thankfully, the Rijeka company has made sure to soften the blow somewhat by pointing out that during their most frequented times during working days, the existing number of departures will remain as it is, meaning that Autotrolej's services are set to remain at the same level for the typical arrival and departure times of people going to work and kids going to school, according to a report by Novi list.

Milan Popadić, the chairman of the council of the Municipal Board of Kantrida has spoken out on the occasion of this rather unwelcome "correction" of Autotrolej's transport timetable. He pointed out that Autotrolej's ''correction'' of their timetable means that the unfortunate inhabitants of Marčeljeva Draga have now been left without any direct connection to Rijeka's city centre whatsoever, for the very first time.

Make sure to stay up to date with our dedicated news page for information on public transport all over the country, events as they happen across Croatia and much more.

Good news for the residents of the island of Zlarin, located near the historic city of Šibenik in Dalmatia as a longtime desire of the island's locals is finally fulfilled.

As Morski writes on the 6th of January, 2019, Zlarin's permanent inhabitants have at least one less problem with the turning of the brand new year. As they state from Zlarin's local committee, after one hundred years of pleading with the powers that be, Zlarin's residents have finally had their wish granted, in the form of an additional ferry service which will operate on Sundays and during holidays.

"After one hundred years of pleading for this, we've now got an additional [ferry] line on Sundays and holidays which goes from Vodice at 15:00 to Prvić and Zlarin at 15:35, and then goes to Šibenik. Thank you very much to the cities of Šibenik and Vodice for their help, and to our colleagues from the local committees in Prvić for their very pleasant cooperation with us. And a huge thanks to our member of the local board, Katarina Gregov, on this sacrificial work, because had she not put her foot down as much as she did, we'd certainly not be hearing anything about this ferry line,'' they state from Zlarin's local committee via Facebook.

An additional 55,000 kuna was set aside for Zlarin's additional ferry line from the urban budget of the City of Vodice for 2019. On Sundays, the ferry line will run until the June 16th and then again from August the 26th through to the very end of the year. Unfortunately for many locals from Vodice, as well as visitors to that destination, the Sunday ferry line will not be in operation during the summer from June the 17th to August the 25th, according to a report from local portal Info Vodice.

The good news which came after this announcement was perhaps best summed up by local woman from Zlarin who simply wrote: ''Now I can come and go''.

Make sure to stay up to date with much more by following our dedicated travel and lifestyle pages.

December the 5th, 2018 - Advent in Zagreb is well and truly bringing the Croatian capital into the joyous atmosphere of the festive season, and the three time winner of the best advent destination in Europe is offering what it usually does at this time of year, once again - free public transport use at weekends.

As studentski.hr writes, the City of Zagreb has provided Zagreb's residents and tourists alike with the free use of the city's public transport every weekend for the duration of Advent in Zagreb, which will last until January the 6th, 2019.

Zagreb's long standing mayor Milan Bandić confirmed for a previous HRT radio show that the capital's trams and buses operating in zone 1 will not charge for their services on weekends during the period of the current advent festivities in the Croatian capital. The move comes as no surprise and has been the norm during advent.

Nevertheless, a small change is that one of Zagreb's most popular attractions, the Zagreb funicular (Uspinjača), which will be transporting passengers to midnight, has to be paid for as normal for the entire duration of Advent in Zagreb, which has otherwise not been the case over the past few years.

To be more specific, Zagreb's public transport will be free during the period from Friday at 12:00 (midday) to Sunday at midnight. It should be noted that during this period, traffic will be prohibited in certain otherwise busy areas, those areas are Nikola Šubić Zrinski Square (Zrinjevac), Strossmayer Square, and King Tomislav Square, where only public transport vehicles may be used during the aforementioned periods.

Make sure to stay up to date with our dedicated travel and lifestyle pages for further information like this, and much more. If it's just the capital you're interested in, give Total Zagreb a follow.

Click here for the original article by Anton Smrekar for studentski.hr

Source: HRT

Integrated passenger transport is more convenient for all public transport users, and will contribute to a better experience for all.