Zagreb Blog

New Expensive Project Divides Zagreb Citizens: City to Buy 230 Public Clocks

By 23 September 2017

Some citizens are delighted, some claim it to be nothing but wastefulness and overspending.

Around 230 city public clocks could soon be set up throughout the city at places where people gather, such as parks, tram and bus stops and terminals, reports Jutarnji.hr on September 21, 2017.

Each city district and the local committee will get their own clock, such is the idea of the City Office for local self-government, who recently asked the committees and councils to submit suggestions regarding the placement of the city clocks. Opinions on whether the project, worth around 50 million kunas (not including the maintenance of clocks), is really necessary are divided. While some people deem the idea to be good, others consider it to be another meaningless spending of budget resources.

"All local committees in our neighbourhood have sent suggestions of locations where it would be good to set up clocks. I believe it is a 'civilization achievement', which exists in every European city. The only question is how it will look and whether the design will be different with regard to the location of the clock - if it is located in the old part of the city or in the newer one," said Josip Jelić, president of the City Council of Črnomerec.

Pero Kovačević from the City Council of Trnje also believes it to be a good idea. He explains that last year, a new clock was set up in Trnje and that the people's reactions were great. "People have already begun meeting by the clock, and many of them have gotten used to it, which is why I think that this is a good idea. As far as the expenses and prices are concerned, I think that if the City had enough money for the fountains, there will be enough for new clocks," says Kovačević.

However, against the new clocks is the HSLS party, whose members have said at the yesterday's press conference that they think it is an unnecessarily high expenditure. "That's terrible - city resources are spent on completely irrelevant things, and the crucial issues are ignored," said Darko Klasić from HSLS.

 

 

Translated from Jutarnji.hr

 

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