This evening in Zagorje, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Janez Janša, commented on current developments related to the Šentvid Tunnel.  PM Janez Janša stated that yesterday he urged the Minister of Transport, Radovan Žerjav, and the Minister of the Interior, Dragutin Mate, to submit to the Government of the Republic of Slovenia within a week a detailed report on the reasons for the traffic congestion and the threat to general road safety in the Šentvid Tunnel, as well as on the activities undertaken by the police in establishing the grounds for suspicion of causing general danger in the tunnel. "I will decide whether to accept the offered resignations after I receive these reports and when we prepare the documents for the Government session.  At this moment it is premature to take any decision," PM Janez Janša explained.

 

(Photo: Bor Slana/Bobo)

 

According to the Prime Minister, Mr Žerjav, who took office as Minister of Transport last year, has been performing well in his position.   He stressed, in this regard, that Minister Žerjav was the first minister who faced up to the power of the lobbies and monopolies which have until now caused significant increases in the costs of Slovenian motorway infrastructure construction.   The Prime Minister also pointed out that he appreciated Minister Žerjav’s gesture to accept strict liability for the current situation, although he was not directly responsible for it.

 

(Photo: Grega Wernig/Bobo)

 

On this occasion the PM also added that only after receiving the final report would it be possible to talk about liability and guilt.  However, PM Janez Janša observed that the impression has been created that the latest incidents in the Šentvid Tunnel are connected to activities through which the Ministry of Transport intended to reduce the costs of the motorway construction and put an end to the practice on the basis of which Slovenian tax-payers paid a significantly higher price for this infrastructure than justified. In the Prime Minister's opinion the responsibility of those who allowed the formation of monopolies in the last fifteen or sixteen years should be examined. "These structures were not developed in the last three years. For the last three years we have been trying to limit these monopolies and in this regard we are very often faced with obstacles posed by those who created these structures."

 

As regards the coverage of the costs incurred in respect of the Šentvid Tunnel, the Slovenian Prime Minister commented that every contractor who did not perform the work in accordance with the contract and business expectations was liable to compensate the damage incurred. "In this case the damage – direct as well as indirect  – was substantial," he asserted.