TRAFFIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR CROATIA PRESENTED

( Editorial: --> 0413 ) ZAGREB, March 21 (Hina) - The Dean of the Traffic Studies Faculty at the University of Zagreb, Josip Bozicevic, presented a Strategy for the Development of Traffic in Croatia, last week in Zagreb. The basic features of the Strategy is coordination of all traffic branches so that one does not inflict the other and profitability, said Bozicevic. Citing the more important aspects of traffic in Croatia and difficulties which follow its development, Bozicevic said the foundation of the development plan is the construction of motorways. At a Helsinki conference in 1994, nine European corridors were confirmed for future motorways, of which none were earmarked to pass through Croatia, he said. Croatia successfully fought for four motorways; Ljubljana-Zagreb- Belgrade, Budapest-Varazdin-Rijeka, Maribor-Zagreb and Osijek- Sarajevo-Mostar, said Bozicevic. Bozicevic said three directions were most important for Croatia. Firstly, connecting Rijeka with Hungary by the Gorican-Zagreb- Karlovac-Bosiljevo-Rijeka motorway. Secondly, linking Zagreb with southern Croatia and thirdly linking Zagreb with Graz (Austria) via Macelj. However, with the third there exists a problem, because a section of that motorway crosses Slovenia, which does not plan to build that route in the next five years. Talking about rail traffioc in Croatia, Bozicevic mentioned numerous ecological advantages of railways compared to motorways. He said rail traffic is now a third of what it was before the war, stressing that it is not necessary to abolish 442 kilometres of tracks as suggested by a Canadian study. He said the development of certain ragions would be endangered by abolishing these tracks. Air traffic in Croatia should be developed by building new airports on the islands, Bozicevic said. River traffic should be improved by amelioration of the Sava River course to Zagreb, building river ports in Dugo Selo as well as building a Vukovar-Samac channel said Bozicevic. (hina) jn mrb 211240 MET mar 98