Social partners agreed at a meeting of the Economic and Social Council (GSV) on Friday to help public transport operators with wage subsidies and by defining a time frame for signing public service agreements.

Speaking to the press after the meeting, the Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, Oleg Butkovic, said that the legal conditions had been met to introduce public services through the Road Transport Act and rules governing regular transport services.

“Since the Ministry of Science and Education finances the transport of secondary school students with about HRK 300 million and the Ministry of Regional Development finances transport to and from the Adriatic islands with about HRK 35 million, we will pool funds to finance public service as of January 1,” Butkovic said.

He said that they would need the support of counties, which are required by law to sign public service agreements and prepare a network of routes, adding that a meeting would be held soon to discuss the amount of money needed for this purpose.

On trade unions’ initiative, the GSV also discussed large transport companies affected by the corona crisis, including the Jadrolinija shipping company, the national flag carrier Croatia Airlines and the HZ rail company.

“We are doing all we can to help these companies maintain cash flow and overcome the losses. They will also get aid,” Butkovic said.

Union leader Mladen Novosel said it was crucial to redefine the aid measures for the transport sector next week because the existing ones would not help them.

“Our proposal is to provide HRK 2,000 per worker as a co-financing measure until agreements have been signed and conditions created for public transport operators to be able to pay wages to their workers,” Novosel said.