Article
Influence of Business-Operational Performances and Company
Size on CO
2
Emissions Decrease-Case of Serbian Road
Transport Companies
Svetozar Slobodan Sofijanic
1
, Sinisa Milos Arsic
2,
* , Dragutin Jovanovic
3
, Milos Zivko Arsic
3
, Safet Kalac
4
,
Zoran Ribaric
5
, Dragan Kostadinovic
6
, Velibor Peulic
7
, Dragana Rosulj
1
, Tibor Fazekas
8
, Srdjan Ljubojevic
6
,
Srdjan Dimic
6
and Boris Ribaric
7
Citation: Sofijanic, S.S.; Arsic, S.M.;
Jovanovic, D.; Arsic, M.Z.; Kalac, S.;
Ribaric, Z.; Kostadinovic, D.; Peulic,
V.; Rosulj, D.; Fazekas, T.; et al.
Influence of Business-Operational
Performances and Company Size on
CO
2
Emissions Decrease-Case of
Serbian Road Transport Companies.
Sustainability 2021, 13, 8176. https://
doi.org/10.3390/su13158176
Academic Editor: João Carlos de
Oliveira Matias
Received: 19 June 2021
Accepted: 17 July 2021
Published: 22 July 2021
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4.0/).
1
Belgrade Polytechnic College, Academy of Applied Technical Studies Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia;
ssofijanic@politehnika.edu.rs (S.S.S.); drosulj@politehnika.edu.rs (D.R.)
2
Telekom Serbia, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
3
Faculty of Economics and Engineering Management, University Business Academy, 12000 Novi Sad, Serbia;
gutajov@gmail.com (D.J.); milos.arsic@fimek.edu.rs (M.Z.A.)
4
Faculty for Traffic, Communications and Logistics, 85310 Budva, Montenegro; kalac.safet@gmail.com
5
Serbia and Montenegro Air Traffic Services (SMATSA), 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; zoran.ribaric1958@gmail.com
6
Military Academy, University of Defence in Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; kosta1901@gmail.com (D.K.);
srdjan.ljubojevic@va.mod.gov.rs (S.L.); srdjan.dimic@mod.gov.rs (S.D.)
7
Faculty of Business Economics, PanEuropean University “Apeiron”, 78000 Banja Luka,
Bosnia and Herzegovina; velibor.peulic.logistika@outlook.com (V.P.); borisribaric87@hotmail.com (B.R.)
8
City Hall Administration, 24000 Subotica, Serbia; ftibi9@gmail.com
* Correspondence: sinisaars@telekom.rs; Tel.: +381-64-6503-293
Abstract:
This research includes the analysis and comparison of long-term values of key business
parameters of profit-oriented companies in Serbia, which are engaged in road transport of cargo or
passengers. This paper takes into account the decreasing emissions of CO
2
and its relation to the
size of business (in terms of transported cargo or number of passengers), and thus by the company’s
business success (income, profit). In the empirical part of this research—ecological, operational, and
business factors were analyzed on a sample of road carriers from Serbia, i.e., the most common type
of organized transport of people or physical goods. Key difference was made between large and
small companies engaged in transport activities, followed by difference between those companies
which have business activities only in Serbia, or engage also in international activities in the Balkan
region (or in the rest of world). The main goal of this paper is to determine statistically significant
differences between transport companies in terms of key performance indicators, depending on
whether they operate only domestically or abroad. In relation to company size, this paper examined
the sustainability of operations in the case of the largest transport companies, which represent half
of the total transport activity in the country (by number of people transported or the amount of
transported cargo), compared to all small carriers with less than 50 employees. Future research
involves extending this sample of road transport companies to all Balkan countries, which have
not yet become a part of the European Union and including additional operational as well as
environmental indicators that are not conventionally measured during vehicle inspections.
Keywords: heavy-duty vehicles; buses; road transport; CO
2
emissions
1. Introduction
As part of the negotiations on accession to the European Union, all road transport
companies from Serbia are obliged to meet strict quality standards in the field of transport
and environmental protection (which is impossible to observe independently). A combina-
tion of a very long, 20-year period of economic transition in Serbia, its inadequate road and
logistics infrastructure, and undeveloped freight lines with most EU countries, have caused
Sustainability 2021, 13, 8176. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158176 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability
