Snowfall Causes Traffic Problems in Parts of Serbia, Delays in Belgrade Public Transport

Traffic Belgrade (BETAPHOTO/MILAN OBRADOVIC)

On Dec. 24, snowfall caused traffic problems and delays in public transport in certain parts of Belgrade, while in higher city areas, where snow cover had not been fully cleared, certain public buses had to take detour routes.

A ride from the Belgrade municipality of Cukarica to the city center took about an hour, according to BETA’s reporter, who uses this commuter route on a daily basis. He said that main roads were largely passable, but that snow caused traffic jams.

Snow covers have formed in the regions of Baka and Srem in Vojvodina, and in Belgrade, while a red warning has been issued in western Serbia, which has seen the heaviest snowfall in the country.  

The Movement for Turnaround has requested dismissal of Belgrade Mayor Aleksandar Sapic over traffic chaos, as well as of Marina Gajic Glamoclija, acting director of city road management company Beograd Put, and Zoran Drobnjak, acting director of national road construction and maintenance company Putevi Srbije.

“Snowfall has traditionally ‘surprised’ responsible services and city authorities. It is unacceptable to use weather conditions as an excuse for such a disarray in Belgrade, it is degrading for the people in the Weather Office who have been for days alarming about the coming snowfall, so they had enough time to get ready,” the party said in a release.

All bridges were jammed, while traffic on the highway running through the city was brought to a standstill along a 15-kilometer stretch. Similarly, roads in the city center where jammed as drivers were stuck in long lines for hours, many with small children on board, the party said.