HEAVY SNOWFALL CAUSES PROBLEMS IN RAILWAY, BUS TRAFFIC

ZAGREB, Nov 19 (Hina) - A heavy snowfall has been causing problems in railway and bus traffic in Croatia since Thursday night. Delays were reported on domestic railway lines as well as on the Venice-Zagreb-Budapest and Munich-Zagreb lines, Zagreb Railways traffic manager Boris Grivicic said. Zagreb commuter lines were operating with five-minute delays. All bus lines running via the mountainous region of Lika and further toward Croatia's coastal region as well as all lines toward Slovenia were cancelled, said Davor Bucar, Zagreb Bus Station traffic manager. #L# The Croatian Auto Club cautions all those travelling toward Lika and the Gorski Kotar region not to forget to take their winter- driving equipment. Trucks and trailers are banned from roads running toward the coastal region, whereas winter-driving equipment is obligatory for all other freight vehicles. The bridge linking Croatia's mainland with the northern Adriatic island of Krk is closed for double-deckers, caravans, motorbikes, trailers and vans. Due to a strong south wind, the ferry service between the central Dalmatian municipalities of Drvenik and Makarska and the islands of Brac and Hvar has been cancelled. The ferry service toward the islands of Pag and Rab is not functioning for trucks and buses. The border crossing and the pontoon bridge in Stara Gradiska linking Croatia with the northern Bosnia-Herzegovina are closed for traffic. Short delays have also been reported in air traffic. According to Zagreb airport chief traffic manager Hrvoje Filipovic, those delays were expected since snow has to be removed from the runways. (hina) rml