The Bajakovo-Batrovci border crossing between Croatia and Serbia experienced severe congestion on Saturday as peak summer holiday travel coincided with scorching temperatures exceeding 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Motorists traveling in both directions encountered significant delays, with those heading from Croatia into Serbia facing queues extending over seven kilometers and wait times reaching up to eight hours.
The crossing typically experiences heavy traffic during holiday weekends, and Saturday’s congestion was particularly acute as summer tourists from across Europe and neighboring regions converged at the border. Many travelers reported exhaustion from extended periods in stationary traffic, with some describing the experience as unprecedented. One frequent border crosser stated he had never witnessed congestion of this magnitude despite regularly using the crossing.
The delays affected both directions equally, as significant numbers of holidaymakers traveled from Serbia into Croatia, which serves as a major tourist destination for regional and international visitors. Travel conditions remained challenging on Friday as well, suggesting the heavy traffic persisted over multiple days during the peak holiday period.
The timing of the congestion coincided with the continued operation of the European Union’s Entry-Exit System, a biometric screening mechanism that replaced traditional passport stamping and has been in wide use since April. While the EES system has been temporarily suspended in some countries previously to expedite processing of non-EU travelers, officials did not definitively establish whether the new screening system contributed to the extended wait times observed during this holiday weekend.
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