Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandić assessed today that the Winter and all other city services have done an excellent job considering the snowstorm on Saturday, which had elements of a natural disaster.
– We had an extraordinary situation to which we responded successfully, and it will be the same on Tuesday if necessary – said Mayor Bandić at a press conference after the meeting of the Winter Service Headquarters. The Winter Service employees worked continuously, clearing 2,500 kilometers of city roads, which were treated with 2,500 tons of salt and sand. There are still about 10,000 tons of salt available, and an additional 1,500 tons will be ordered, and we are ready for Tuesday when new snowfall is expected. Until then, the remaining snow needs to be ‘eaten’ so that all squares and access routes to schools, kindergartens, hospitals, cultural and other public institutions are completely cleared, he said.
What the machines cannot clear will be done manually to ensure everything is operational, said the mayor. He also mentioned that he visited many northern metropolises where snow is not cleared, but that Zagreb maintains a high standard in this regard, which comes at a cost. Zagreb has spent more than all Croatian cities combined might, but that is the price of the standard we have set for ourselves. When asked about the fact that public transport was interrupted for most of the day and whether this would happen again on Tuesday when snow is again forecasted, Bandić said that 50 centimeters of snow fell by noon, that these are the outlines of a natural disaster, and that he would not respond to hypothetical questions. If there were delays, it does not mean that the city is not functioning, and anyone reasonable could expect problems, added Bandić. The fact that someone walked a few hundred meters is not a problem, he added.
