The Public Enterprise "Autoputevi Republike Srpske" d.o.o. Banja Luka appeals to all competent authorities at the level of joint BiH institutions, as well as representatives of the European Union, to put an end as soon as possible to the obstructions regarding the procedure of opening and commissioning the newly constructed bridge over the Sava River near Gradiška, along with the previously built border crossing and customs terminal.

Serious damage to the existing bridge and the complete closure of the international border crossing serves as the final alarm and warning to all competent authorities that any further delay in opening the new bridge threatens the lives and safety of all traffic participants, as well as the normal functioning of the transport of goods and people.

Therefore, PE "Autoputevi Republike Srpske" fully supports the calls made by the Mayor of Gradiška, Zoran Adžić, to the competent authorities, urging for an inspection of the existing bridge as urgently as possible to determine the level of damage and load capacity, and to redirect traffic to the new border crossing in order to prevent further traffic collapse in the center of Gradiška.

PE "Autoputevi Republike Srpske" welcomes the swift and concrete reaction of the Minister of Finance and Treasury in the Council of Ministers of BiH, Srđan Amidžić, who convened an urgent session of the Governing Board of the Indirect Taxation Authority of BiH with only one item on the agenda – the adoption of amendments to internal acts that will enable the long-awaited commissioning of the border crossing and customs terminal in Čatrnja, near Gradiška.

It is unacceptable that due to the arbitrariness of one man and the retrograde policies of official Sarajevo, a modern and completely new border crossing and bridge over the Sava remain unused, while neighboring border crossings between BiH and Croatia, especially during weekends, are in total chaos and collapse due to increased traffic frequency. The collapse of a section of the old bridge over the Sava in the center of Gradiška is the best testament to the need for opening the new bridge as urgently as possible, in order to prevent further endangerment of passengers' lives and to ensure the unobstructed flow of traffic.

Finally, it is worth reminding that PE "Autoputevi Republike Srpske" suffers direct financial damage due to the lack of a decision to open the new bridge over the Sava River to traffic—a construction project that Republika Srpska patiently awaited for a decade and a half. Today, nearly four years after its construction was completed, the bridge over the Sava is still not operational, even though all conditions have meanwhile been met on both the BiH and Croatian sides to put the modern border crossings on both sides into function.

Фото: РТРС/уступљена фотографија