The recent six-cent price increase is just another in the line of burdens for transportation operators in the last six months.
At the beginning of the year, VAT also increased, and with it the price of petrol.
The price of gasoline was increased by 13 cents per liter, and euro diesel by seven cents. The petrol price of 1.41 euro per liter reached the level from the beginning of 2012.
The President of Montenegro's Transport Association, Veselin Salamadija, said that despite the new price increase of petrol, there would be no price correction regarding the tickets.
"Most bus operators use oil, so this gasoline price increase did not hit us. However, the market is unstable, and possible new increases in fuel prices have been announced. We will certainly monitor fuel prices, but for now, bus drivers will not increase their ticket prices," said Salamadija. The owner of the taxi association Red line from Podsrice, Željko Rubežić, states that they still do not know if they will increase the prices of their services.
"We are waiting for the municipality's decision to set the minimum and maximum price per kilometer. I think this will happen in September. Given the fact that the season begins soon and that fewer people will be in Podgorica, I doubt that the prices will be adjusted by September. 95 percent of the taxi operators use oil, but in the case of a new fuel price increase, the question is how managing a taxi business will be profitable. We will monitor the prices, because, in the case of new growth, corrections may be possible," said Rubežić.
The president of the taxi drivers trade union, Borislav Pavlovic, said that it is realistic to expect an increase in the prices of the taxi services but that it will not happen.
"If we raise prices, then we're in trouble because we will not have a job. We are forced to operate under the current conditions, but it is better like that than not to do it at all," said Pavlovic.
He also pointed out that there is no order in the taxi associations, because the prices of taxi services per kilometer range from 30 cents in Podgorica to seven euros in Budva.
Text by Dan, on May 16th, 2018, read more at CdM
