SARAJEVO, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Road transport operators in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) on Monday staged protests, blocking major roads, border crossings, and customs terminals to demand an end to discrimination against BiH drivers in the European Union (EU).

At the northwestern border with Croatia, cargo traffic at the Velika Kladusa-Maljevac crossing was brought to a halt as trucks lined up in protest, while passenger traffic continued without disruption. Drivers said they wanted to draw attention to difficulties caused by the Schengen 90-day stay rule, under which overstays can lead to fines of thousands of euros and entry bans.

The BiH Logistics Consortium, which organized the action, outlined demands including amendments to transport regulations, refunds of excise duties, lower road tolls, exporter status, and faster customs and inspection procedures.

Minister of Communications and Transport Edin Forto told local media that many requests had already been met, while some others were in the process of being implemented. He added that the Schengen issue can only be resolved once BiH joins the EU, or through a regional initiative involving Western Balkan countries. ■