Splitski Dnevnik writes on May 28, 2019, that we are just a few days away from the new traffic regulations in the center of Split. Allegedly, this will lead traffic outside the center of the city, which is becoming increasingly more congested year after year - and is, precisely, the consequence of transitioning from a port city to a booming tourist destination.
And indeed, in recent years, cars have moved at the speed of snails down Ul. Kralj Zvonimira, making it much quicker to travel on foot in the hot summer season. The City of Split even announced that the regulations in the city center would also ease the life of tenants in the center. It's true, something needed to be done, though how it will go remains to be seen.
Another, rather exciting part of the new traffic regulation comes June 9. While one-way traffic will already be introduced at the Split Ferry Port, the Main Railway Station in Kopilica will begin operating. Thus, tour bus passengers will be unloaded and loaded at the new Kopilica station and can travel for 11 kuna via public city transport from the Municipal Rail Station in Kopilica to the Split Ferry Port. Kopilica will boast a parking lot for 48 tour buses, and the daily parking fee for buses will cost 120 kuna (the same parking fee as Dračevac).
However, if tour buses did want to load and unload their passengers at the terminals at the Tourist Palace in the city center, they are limited to 15 minutes and will walk out with empty pockets. Namely, the buses who wish to bring their tourists to the Riva will have to pay 800 kuna (400 for unloading passengers, 400 for loading). Until now, they've paid 50 kuna.
"The organization of the Main Railway Station in Kopilica and the introduction of the city rail service in the service of public transport is expected to reduce the pressure of vehicles, especially tourist buses at the center of the city. Passengers can get to the center in just four minutes with the new metro and by using a unique ticket that is valid for the train and bus, issued by the hour. City trains on the route from Kopilica - Ferry Port and vice versa will travel every 20 minutes,” reads the correspondence sent to the travel agencies, which is signed by Deputy Mayor Nino Vela.
The announcement added that these measures are being introduced so that the “arrival of tourists in the destination is as pleasant as possible, and so that they do not waste time standing in queues, but also to make sure that the local population feels less pressure of tourist flows."
Thus, passengers are being shifted from the bus to the city train, as a way to make the temporary station project survive. Recall, 800 kuna is no small amount, and it is only logical to think that most carriers would decide against paying the fee to enter the center to unload their passengers. In Kopilica, every passenger is paying only 11 kuna to get to the city center. We just hope that it will truly only take four minutes to get there.
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