Chaos in Montenegro’s Railway Transport: New Board, Price Hikes, and Imminent Collapse!
Did you know that Montenegro’s Railway Transport (ŽPCG) just got a new board of directors? Yes, after one member resigned, the government quickly appointed Slavko Vukčević, Dejan Konatar, Goran Simović (who became the board president), Vlajko Nikolić, and Natalija Asanović. But does this mean things will get better? Not really.
Dysfunction and Collapse on the Horizon
The previous board was in chaos, and short-term dysfunction didn’t help at all. The University of Economics in Podgorica conducted a study showing that merging the maintenance of rolling stock into the parent company is essential. If this doesn’t happen, OŽVS will go bankrupt, which would further endanger railway traffic in Montenegro.
Deadlines and details about the completion of this process are unknown. The auditing firm HLB Mont Audit was hired as a consultant, but even they don’t have a magic wand.
Price Hikes That Hurt Your Wallet
To make matters worse, ŽPCG scrapped promotional ticket prices at the beginning of June that had been in place for almost ten years! The result? Tickets on some routes are now twice as expensive. For example, a ride from Podgorica to Nikšić now costs €3.2 instead of €1.5, while the ticket for the route Capital City – Bijelo Polje jumped from €3.5 to €5.2.
Officially, this isn’t a price increase of regular fares but the removal of promotional prices. But for the average citizen, it feels like prices exploded. How are people supposed to travel when their pockets are emptying?
What’s Next?
While the board struggles with internal issues and citizens pay more, Montenegro’s railway transport is on shaky legs. Will the new board manage to save the situation, or will everything end in bankruptcy and total collapse? Time will tell.
If you have thoughts on this mess or maybe a good joke about railways and price hikes, share it – we clearly need some humor to survive this ride!
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