Hourslong waits at Croatia-Serbia border test travelers’ resolve in sweltering heat

BAJAKOVO, Croatia (AP) — Travelers at a popular border crossing between Croatia and Serbia on Saturday faced hourslong waits in scorching temperatures as peak summer holiday traffic clogged one of the major crossings between the two Balkan nations.

Motorists traveling from Croatia through the Bajakovo-Batrovci crossing into Serbia were stuck in queues of up to seven kilometers (4.3 miles) and wait times of up to eight hours. Temperatures reached above 95 degrees (35 Celsius).

Heavy traffic went both ways, with many holidaymakers heading from Serbia into Croatia, a popular tourist destination. The standstill traffic also gripped the crossing on Friday, taking a heavy toll on travelers, many of whom said they were exhausted after being stuck in line for hours.

Traffic between European Union member Croatia and non-EU member Serbia is typically busiest during holiday weekends, and often peaks on Aug. 1 when flows of summer tourists from Europe and neighboring countries converge at the Bajakovo-Batrovci border.

Senad Arman from Turkey was returning home on Friday after a holiday in Croatia with his family, and admitted the lengthy queues were testing his resolve.

“We’ve been waiting for two hours,” he said. “We’re very tired, hungry and thirsty.”

The delays also coincided with the implementation of the European Union’s Entry-Exit System, or EES, a biometric screening system to replace passport stamping, which has been widely in use since April. While the EES system has previously been suspended in some countries to speed up processing times of non-EU travelers, it isn’t clear if the new system contributed to the long queues on Saturday.

On Friday, the wait left 72-year-old Vjekoslav Draskovic, who said he frequently crosses the Serbian-Croatian border, feeling regretful.

“I should have left at midnight last night if I’d known,” he said. “I’ve never experienced anything like this before … I’ve never seen anything like it.”