Trolleybuses in Belgrade

The idea of introducing trolleybuses was considered during Interbellum. In the late 1930s, city's Directory for trams and lights prepared the acquisition of the first vehicles. The intention was to introduce the trolleybus lines which would connect the downtown Belgrade to Karaburma. World War II prevented the realization of this plan but the devastation of the tram infrastructure during the war revitalized the idea of trolleybuses.[2]

The first trolleybus was presented to the public during the Labor Day parade on 1 May 1947 while the network became operational on 22 June 1947. First two lines were Kalemegdan-Slavija and Crveni Krst-Slavija, which was later expanded to Kalemegdan Park, too. Several months later, the third line, to Dušanovac, was open. In the 1950s, the general idea was that trolleybuses should take over the major role in the public transportation. By 1955, the number of trolleybuses rose to 42. Envisioned plans included lines to Zemun, Karaburma, New Belgrade and Dedinje, but not all were carried into effect. Line to Zemun was opened in 1956, and in time three lines across the Sava river were formed: Line 14 – Zeleni Venac-Gornji Grad (Zemun) (which was considered a successor line to the pre-war tram line), Line 15 – Zeleni Venac-Novi Grad (Zemun) and Line 16 – Zeleni Venac-Pohorska, New Belgrade.[2]

During this period, trolleybus became part of the Belgrade's sub-culture due to the activity of kešanje (slang for hanging onto something). Instead of entering the vehicle and paying for the ticket, the teenagers and young adults would grab onto the trolley pole on the outside.

Since the late 1960s, city authorities began to consider abolishing the trolleybus network completely. In 1973 all three lines across the river were terminated and by the ending of Branko Pešić’s tenure as the mayor of Belgrade in 1974, only one line survived, Kalemegdan-Kruševačka, Lekino Brdo. It was planned for it to be abolished, too, but already in the mid-1970s, after several types of research, city government changed the opinion and began developing the trolleybus network again.[2]

By the early 1980s, new neighborhoods planned to become part of the network were Konjarnik, Miljakovac, Učiteljsko Naselje, Medaković, Banjica, Kumodraž, and Zvezdara. By 1982 trolleybuses reached Konjarnik (Line 19) and Učiteljsko Naselje (Line 21) and the Line 28, connecting Kalemegdan to Zvezdara opened in 1983. In 1985 Line 41 connected Kalemegdan to Banjica II and in 1986 Line 40 was opened between Banjica II and Zvezdara. By the late 1980s, citizens became accustomed to the network and in the 1990s a new trolleybus depot was built in Dorćol, with the capacity of servicing 135 vehicles.[2]

As the city authorities continued with their already heavily criticized project of removing the traffic completely from downtown and conducting it into the neighborhood of Dorćol, they began the construction of the grid. Local residents opposed the idea and blocked the streets. When city sent workers to begin the works on the new grid, the residents physically prevented them. They are opposing the project which will reduce the sidewalks and number of parking spots, cut the trees and induce further traffic jams. City claimed they are doing this because of the wishes of the citizens but never provided any proof of that. After negotiations with the residents, city decided to temporarily halt the works and later announced the partial change of the route.[13][14][15][16][17][18]

In March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a state of emergency was declared in Serbia, which included social distancing, partial curfew and ban on public gathering. The emergency was declared on 16 March and already on 17 March city began to cut trees to make way for the grid. Citizens reported that the city is building the route as they like, pushing aside what little agreement they made with the citizens, that workers employed in the construction don't follow protocolos of protection during the pandemic and that works are being done without all necessary permits since there was no time to obtain them so fast. City responded that now, when there is no traffic, it is ideal time to work and that they do everything as agreed with the citizens who are now legally prevented to organize protests and blockades due to the state of emergency.[19] The works continued only during the night curfew, including loud construction works like the hydraulic concrete drilling. Police refused to intervene so the situation culminated in late April when citizens gathered in the streets, breaking the curfew and halting the works. Police then appeared with black Marias but an ad hoc agreement was reached by which residents returned to their homes, and the works were stopped.[20][21]

City Hospital (today KBC Zvezdara) was opened on 1 December 1935. In the early 1941, before World War II began in Yugoslavia, the bus Line 28 was established, which connected City Hospital to Theatre Square in downtown Belgrade, via Hadžipopovac and Profesorska Kolonija. The line was kept operational by the German occupational authorities throughout the war, from 1941 to 1944. After the war, the bus line of the similar route continued, but was renamed to Line 27. In 1949, the pre-war line was fully re-established, and the number 28 was returned.[22]

The buses which operated on the line were Miesse and Renault. Later bus brands on the line included Leyland Royal Tiger Worldmaster, MAN and Ikarbus. The buses were replaced by trolleybuses in 1983, but neither the number nor the route changed (modern street names): Dimitrija Tucovića-Cvijićeva-Jaše Prodanovića-Takovska-Svetogorska-Makedonska-Republic Square-Vasina-Studentski Trg.[22]

The changes in 2019, especially the shut down of the line 28 was described as the "complete miss" and caused public protests and gatherings, and street and works blockades. Thousands of people signed petition asking for the line to be restored and organized protests along the line's route.[23] Closing and shortening of the lines in November 2019 right away resulted in crowds in the surviving lines and massive public discontent. Especially affected was Zvezdara municipality as lines 19, 21 and 28 were connecting different parts of Zvezdara to downtown. Furthermore, line 28 was the only line of public transportation which connected downtown to KBC Zvezdara, one of the largest medical-hospital complexes in Belgrade. Authorities said that everything is covered with changing buses on other lines, but it turned out that for some, previously direct routes, it takes an extra hour for the commuters. Another explanation by the authorities was reduced pollution in downtown. However, an extra diesel-operated bus line No. 22A, for the shortened section of the trolleybus lines through the city center, was introduced. Just five days into new network, mayor Zoran Radojičić said that line 28 "may be reintroduced".[24][25][26] The residents continued to occasionally block the traffic and in February 2020 they placed a "monument" to line 28 at its former terminus at Studentski Trg.[27]

The line was also directly connecting several students' dormitories to the Belgrade University. The abolishment and shortening of the lines was abrupt and unannounced. In the 2015 project, line 28 was not only preserved, but was planned for extension - to Medaković III on one, and to Cerak Vinogradi, on the other side. When the reconstruction of the Republic Square began, it was stated that the shutting of the lines was temporary. And when the works were finished on 1 September 2019, all the lines were indeed restored. However, when two weeks later the newly renovated square began to fall apart, the cubes which were used for paving were turned upside down. After this was finished, the lines were shut down, unofficially, because of the mishandled reconstruction and poor quality.[28]

After 4 months of protests, city finally accepted to hold talks with the citizens regarding line 28 in the late February 2020.[29] Previously they completely ignored the protesters, not answering to any petition or question, refusing to disclose the study on which they based the abolishment of the line, even when they had to do it when the Law on Free Access to Information was invoked by the activists.[30] After several sessions city remained insistent on enforcing pedestrian zone in the entire downtown and refusing to re-establish the line. The activists said they will physically prevent removal of the electric grid.[28][31] In June 2020, city administration announced restoration of the line for 6 July, after the study of Transportation Faculty which showed that the restoration of the line is justified.[32][33]