Dubrovnik first city in Croatia to introduce a special traffic control zone

Dubrovnik

On 1 September, Dubrovnik will become the first city in Croatia to introduce a special traffic control zone.

The decision was made based on UNESCO guidelines and the Management Plan with the aim of the special control zone is to reduce congestion around the historic centre of Dubrovnik and bring order to the area.

A system with warning screens and traffic lights will be activated on key roads in the city with the trial phase starting on 1st September, with full implementation on 1st March.

Only those with a permit will be allowed to drive right up to the city walls.

“At present, we have 9,000 taxi vehicles, but the goal is to reduce this number to 700 by 1st March,” said Mato Franković, the Mayor of Dubrovnik.

This decision has not been well received by taxi drivers, who argue that they are not solely responsible for the daily traffic jams.

“The decision could help reduce traffic congestion. As you can see on the roads, every other vehicle is a taxi, but it’s not just taxis causing the congestion in the city,” Božo Miletić, a taxi operator, told Dnevnik.hr.

“There aren’t 9,000 taxis, not even 3,000, but alright, let’s say there are. Come on a Saturday or Sunday, when our business is at its peak—there’s no traffic! The real congestion is caused by rental cars with Daruvar number plates—what we colloquially call ‘Daruvarci’. They drive around the city, see a ‘residents only’ sign, can’t find parking, but they pull out their phones, take a selfie, snap a picture of Minčeta Tower, and so on,” explained Uber driver Nikša Vezilić.

Dubrovnik

It will take a few months to determine which 700 taxi drivers will be allowed to operate around the historic centre without restrictions.

A tender will be announced by the end of the year, and those who meet the requirements will receive the so-called brown badge, which will be linked to a single vehicle, a specific registration number, and will be non-transferable.

Although taxi drivers are not opposed to the idea of reducing the number of vehicles, they find the selection process for obtaining a permit problematic.

“The Yellow ones, the Blue ones—they’re associations, so they’ll be able to stay. But there’ll be only 100 permits left for the rest of us who operate independently, and now each of us is worried—will I be one of those 100? Discriminatory? Probably,” says Vezilić.

Dubrovnik Old Town

Taxi drivers believe that the traffic issues in Dubrovnik are complex and are calling on the relevant minister to engage in dialogue. “I publicly invite Minister Butković to sit down with us again and form a working group that will, if necessary, work for a year just to improve the law and fix everything that’s wrong with it,” said Miletić.

For now, the new driving system around the city is not expected to affect residents; they will continue to drive around the historic centre as usual. Some changes will occur, but not for a few months, and the mayor assures that everyone will be informed in good time.