STA, 7 August 2021 - Heavy traffic is reported from Slovenian roads towards Croatia on Saturday, with long waiting times at border crossings to exit or enter Slovenia, including up to four hours. Congestion is also reported on the Slovenian and Austrian sides of the Karawanks tunnel in the north-west of the country on yet another busy summer weekend.
A five-kilometre tailback has formed on the Slovenian side of the Karawanks tunnel, and a six-kilometre tailback on the Austrian side. The tunnel is being closed at intervals towards Slovenia.
Those entering Slovenia from Croatia are waiting more than two hours at Gruškovje and Dragonja border crossings, and from one to two hours at Obrežje.
Three hours are meanwhile needed to enter Croatia at Jelšane, and more than two hours at Metlika. The waiting time at Obrežje is one to two hours, and one to two hours at Dragonja and Gruškovje.
Worried about the congestions on the Slovenian-Croatian border, Slovenian MEP Klemen Grošelj (Renew/LMŠ) has asked the European Commission how it will address the situation to make it in line with the goals set when the EU's digital Covid certificate was adopted.
He has highlighted long tailbacks and hours-long waiting times on what is a border between two EU member states.
The MEP believes that EU member states are not properly prepared to check the Covid certificate while there are also differences in how they check it on the border.
This leads to problems for the locals along the Slovenian-Croatian border, who are already under pressure from illegal migrations, Grošelj said in a statement.
This is moreover unacceptable for EU citizens with a Covid certificate who should have smooth travel despite the epidemiological measures.
It is Grošelj's view that the situation on the Slovenian-Croatian border shows the goals of the European digital certificate have not been achieved.
Congestion is also being reported on the motorway in Pomurje, north-east, as vehicles are exiting at Pince rest area towards Hungary, also to buy a motorway sticker for Hungary.
Slovenia's traffic information centre meanwhile advises people not to travel to the town of Bohinj, north-west, if not urgent as the Bled-Bohinj road is closed due to a car accident.
You can always find the latest traffic news at the official site, promet.si, while the current waiting times at Slovenia’s borders can be found here
