Damaged bridge on Pajkov vir is a threat to human safety and the environment
Contractors of the Bar-Boljare highway project continue to devastate the environment and jeopardize the safety of people and their property, as confirmed by non-governmental organizations Ozon, Breznica and Durmitor Development Centre during the last field visit of the highway route, the priority section Smokovac – Mateševo, all within the framework of the civil monitoring of impact of this project on the environment, implemented in cooperation with NGO MANS.
These organizations collected relevant evidence of serious damage to the bridge at the Pajkov vir site, which jeopardizes the safety of transport, people and the environment, and informed the competent inspection bodies in the Ministry of Transport and Maritime Affairs, the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism and the Police Directorate about the situation.
Apart from the visible damage to the bridge, it was noticed that the heavy machinery, which significantly uses a damaged bridge on Pajkov vir, have no license plates, which brings into question their technical functionality and responsibility towards others, thus, it is incomprehensible that there are no police patrols or any warning signs in the immediate vicinity.
It is not clear how the competent inspection authorities have not so far prohibited the traffic and the use of the bridge, as it is unquestionably significantly damaged, and ordered the construction of a new one, which would be an expected contribution and obligation of the investor of the highway construction, since due to this project, there has been an increase in traffic intensity, especially of trucks and heavy machinery, which additionally burdens the existing traffic infrastructure.
We believe that it is necessary to urgently prohibit the use of the bridge on Pajkov vir, to implement measures for remediation of the surrounding area devastated by the primitive attempt to secure that facility with excavation, to initiate appropriate procedures against all those who have contributed to the disastrous situation by negligent exercise of their authorities and inform the public in what way the issue will be solved.
We also believe that it is of utmost importance to determine the factual situation about the manner in which freight vehicles and heavy machinery with no license plates are able to participate in traffic and what are the measures for the protection of those traffic participants that are duly registered and whose safety is jeopardized.
We expect the competent authorities to inform us as soon as possible of the measures taken, and we urge all citizens and passengers using the highway route to avoid the bridge on Pajkov vir until the conditions for safe traffic are met.
Aleksandar Perović, Director
ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT “OZON”
