As the aftermath of a record traffic collapse, where passengers waited up to 10 hours, is being addressed, Mayor Lasić emotionally described the solidarity of locals and demanded an urgent solution for border crossings.
After the Adriatic Highway through Konavle was paralyzed by an unprecedented traffic collapse on Sunday, August 2, 2026, the Mayor of Konavle Municipality, Božo Lasić, publicly spoke out about the chronic issues with traffic infrastructure. At the same time, in an emotional post on social media, full of praise for the solidarity of his fellow townspeople, he highlighted that it was the young volunteers and ordinary people who prevented the chaos from escalating even further.
The traffic nightmare was caused by a combination of factors. According to the head of the Civil Protection Headquarters of Konavle Municipality, Toni Čeović, an incredible number of cars formed at the Karasovići border crossing to Montenegro, far more than in previous years. The situation was further exacerbated by a delay on the ferry in Montenegro, which runs every 20 minutes and quickly filled up, causing the lines to merge into one massive jam.
According to media reports relayed by the Dubrovnik Diocese, the line of cars at times stretched 20 kilometers and was at a standstill. Passengers spent up to 10 hours in it, including families with children, who waited for hours in high temperatures.
Mayor Lasić, who has held the position for 9 years, described in a lengthy post what he saw and felt during the chaotic day. "We live in a time when it's easy to type, comment, and judge from the comfort of an air-conditioned room, without looking a person in the eye," Lasić wrote, adding: "In such moments, one pauses and realizes that kindness is quieter than anger, but it is stronger: it doesn't give speeches, but brings a bottle of water, makes a sandwich, shows the way, and tells a person they are not alone."
He particularly highlighted the efforts of the youth. Toni from Vitaljina reported that they had distributed two pallets of water. The parish priest of Pridvorje, Father Petar Markić, gathered young people from Pridvorje and Lovorno who spent the entire afternoon and evening preparing sandwiches and distributing them on the road until 1 a.m. "Great praise also goes to the young people of Pridvorje and their parish priest, Father Petar Markić, who organized themselves and distributed food to people stuck in these unbearable jams all day, even through the night! Everything aside, humanity is priceless," Lasić conveyed.
Headquarters Chief Toni Čeović described how they were on standby even before the official activation at 9:30 a.m. Firefighters immediately sent a water tanker to distribute water, and by 10 a.m. they were at distribution points. The company Viva voda opened its warehouse to them, which was at their disposal all day. "The people of Konavle have shown that no matter how much we may disagree on some things, when trouble strikes, we are all as one," Čeović said.
Some residents living along the highway opened their homes to passengers for hygiene needs, set up water hoses, and provided various other forms of assistance. The Red Cross and Emergency Medical Services from Čilipi also joined the effort, with many people seeking help for exhaustion. Lasić especially thanked the county prefect, who was persistent and involved in solving the problem through phone calls, and the police officers who did an excellent job directing traffic and calming people for hours in the heat.
The day after the collapse, Monday, August 3, 2026, dawned calmer, but the aftermath was clearly visible. "The phones at Čistoća haven't stopped ringing; I ask everyone for patience because our capacities are stretched to the maximum. Over 8 cubic meters of trash have already been collected, and the work continues!" Lasić reported. Employees of the utility company Čistoća i zelenilo have been on the ground since early morning, and young people from Vitaljina also joined the cleanup.
Čeović explained that the amount of waste is large but understandable given the circumstances: "It's not just small litter you toss out the window, but I can understand that when you're stuck in a line for 10 hours, people no longer think about what they leave behind; they're too exhausted for that."
Although he emotionally praised the solidarity, Mayor Lasić did not overlook systemic issues. "I have long warned that the situation at our border crossings differs significantly from most other border crossings in the Republic of Croatia. I don't want to avoid my share of responsibility, but I must also clearly state that this state of affairs is unacceptable. Therefore, I demand that all competent institutions take immediate concrete measures to resolve this problem as soon as possible," he stated.
Čeović announced that no problems are expected during the week, and possible congestion next weekend, but nowhere near this scale. "Yesterday, chaos did not win. People, solidarity, and responsibility won. Konavle won," was Mayor Lasić's final message.
