ROAD MANAGEMENT REFUSES LIABILITY FOR TRAFFIC JAM ON FERRY LINES

ZAGREB, July 28 (Hina) - The head of Croatia's Road Management (HUC), Aleksandar Caklovic, on Wednesday said the HUC could not be held accountable for the ferry service Fortica-Miletici toward the island of Pag as "neither the cause nor possible solutions (to such a problem) are within the HUC jurisdiction." The full responsibility for the events in connection with that ferry service on 23,24 and 25 July - when a force 9 gale blew - lies with those who re-directed columns of cars from the Prizna-Zigljen ferry line but failed to ensure additional ferry-boats on the Fortica-Miletici line, Caklovic said in a statement, commenting on gridlock caused in traffic in that area of Croatia over the weekend. Caklovic believes that it was probably the Transport Ministry that decided, without HUC's knowledge, to redirect traffic toward Fortica-Miletici but forgot to send additional boats immediately. Another ferries were subsequently included into the Fortica- Miletici line after an indescribable traffic jam occurred, Caklovic added. He said one ferry on the Fortica-Miletici line had been sufficient for normal traffic when in June about 90 cars were transported daily from the mainland to the island of Pag in this direction. Another line, Prizna-Zigljen, which could not be used over the weekend due to such a strong gale, saw usually about 900 cars per day. He added that under the Transport Ministry's decree of 26 May 1998, local authorities should be responsible for ferry traffic. (hina) ms