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A better bus service for Dubrovnik
€7.5 million EBRD loan to meet rising volume of traffic
Tourism in the historic city of Dubrovnik, internationally known for its
numerous monuments and classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage site, has been
recovering strongly in recent years – and so is traffic. A €7.5 million EBRD
loan to the transport company Libertas Dubrovnik d.o.o. for 31 buses and a new
bus garage should ease the traffic problem and at the same time enhance the
city’s efforts to be a premium tourist destination.
The agreement includes an innovative provision under which the city of
Dubrovnik and Libertas have signed a Public Service Contract defining the
roles and obligations of both parties, arrangements for service payments to
the company, and the quantity and quality of service provided by Libertas.
Noreen Doyle, EBRD First Vice President, said a Public Service Contract will
for the first time in Croatian urban transport establish a clear commercial
basis for public transport. It will also increase transparency and
accountability.
Dubravka Suica, the Mayoress of Dubrovnik, added that this is the first in a
series of investments to improve public transport as part of the city’s
strategy to develop Dubrovnik as a premium tourist destination.
Bozo Lasic, Managing Director of Libertas, said that the company will enter
into a Twinning Agreement with a comparable bus operator in western Europe to
share best practices and experiences in urban transport management.
The EBRD may also mobilise grant financing to support the completion of a new
transport strategy for Dubrovnik. The development and implementation of the
Sustainable Transport Strategy will lead to the construction of off-street
parking garages, to be financed, built and operated by a private sector
contractor.
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