Agreement signed to finance construction of green stations on Serbian motorways

BELGRADE - Roads of Serbia, Itech Corp and Elcom Bgd representatives signed on Wednesday an agreement on financing for the construction of 16 green stations on Serbian motorways, to be equipped with electric chargers.

The funds will go to projects to build accompanying amenities for users of electric chargers in existing rest areas and on parking lots.

Serbian Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Goran Vesic said Serbia would thus in the next few years become the region's most equipped country when it comes to equipment for electric cars.

The agreement was signed by Roads of Serbia Acting Director General Zoran Drobnjak, Nenad Soldatovic from Itech Corp and Bosko Lekovic from Elcom Bgd.

Vesic said three European countries - Germany, France and the UK - each had over three million electric cars.

"According to an EU estimate, by 2030, 30 pct of all cars in the territory of the EU will be electric cars," Vesic said, adding that Serbian roads must be equipped with adequate infrastructure for electric cars in order to be competitive.

"If we do not have the infrastructure, we will be bypassed by those travelling through Serbia, and we are a transit country," he said.

He said there were a total of eight electric chargers on Serbian roads but that installation of 23 more was underway, including on new routes such as the Morava Corridor and the Ruma-Sabac motorway.

"We will have 33 electric chargers this year, mostly at toll stations," Vesic said.