The Slovenian cabinet confirmed on Thursday amendments to the railways act whose aim is to restructure the sector by setting up a new regulatory body and turning the Slovenian Railways into a single company again.
According to Transport Minister Janez Bozic, the key goal of the proposed legislation is to implement EU directives and to fix weaknesses from the current law, particularly in the field of public railways infrastructure.
Bozic stressed that the document deals with all players in the railways sector and clearly sets down their powers and duties.
Under the proposed changes, the Railways will be overhauled into a single company that will continue to act as a railways operator, but will also be in charge of managing public railway infrastructure.
The latter role is being taken away from the Public Agency for Railway Transport, which will instead be in charge of railway safety and ensuring fair access to railway infrastructure to railway companies.
Moreover, a new regulatory commission would be established by the government, whereas the Transport Ministry is to be in charge of setting the railway infrastructure fee and certifying the timetables of rail operators. The ministry will also oversee investment in public rail infrastructure, Bozic explained.
According to Bozic, the Slovenian Railways will manage public railway infrastructure but not private infrastructure, which is expected to be built in the future.
Finance Minister Andrej Bajuk said it was imperative that the proposed legislation opens the possibility to public-private partnership in the railways sector.
Bajuk explained that this was even more important given the huge sums that need to be invested as part of railway modernisation projects planned for the coming years.
Bozic added that the proposed amendments are to be sent to parliament for adoption in emergency procedure because they transpose two EU directives concerning rail transport.
The document also deals with the complaints voiced recently by the Court of Audits, which said the authorities failed to transform the companies in line with a law adopted following a referendum held in 2003.
The audit report established other violations, including public contracts worth more than SIT 100bn (EUR 418m) that were awarded contrary to public procurement rules.
|
Subscribe
To receive our weekly newsletter by e-mail subscribe here.
HOME
Government | Calendar of Events | Media Room | About Slovenia
Sitemap | Contact us | About us | Graphic version | Slovensko
© Government Communication Office