Whole, Velenje: Streets for the people, not the tin

Starting September 1, 2026, visitors will have access to new parking facilities at the top of the Vršič Pass, according to a joint announcement by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy, the Directorate for Infrastructure, and the municipalities of Kranjska Gora and Bovec. The new traffic arrangement aims to enhance safety, improve traffic flow, and better protect the sensitive natural environment, especially during the tourist season. Free parking will be available until the end of 2026. Final construction work is scheduled to be completed by the end of September 2026, with traffic continuing uninterrupted throughout this period. The new parking area includes 80 spaces for private vehicles, three for disabled individuals, 24 for motorcycles, two for buses, and eight for short-term parking (up to 15 minutes). Occupancy status of these public parking areas at the summit will be displayed via traffic signals before the toll gates on both the Kranjska Gora and Trenta sides. This information is intended to help drivers choose their lane appropriately. The display does not include private mountain lodge parking areas. Two lanes of traffic will be established starting September 1. One lane will be designated for visitors wishing to park at the summit, while the other will serve all other users continuing through the pass or heading to other organized parking areas along the Vršič Road. Toll gates are located on the Kranjska Gora side near Lake Jasna and on the Trenta side before the turnoff to the source of the Soča River. Before the toll gates, the road expands into two lanes. The right lane is reserved for visitors planning to park at the summit. Drivers will receive a parking ticket at the gate and will be allowed entry only while free parking spaces remain available. The occupancy of these spaces will be continuously displayed on LED screens. The left lane is intended for all other users who will continue through the pass or head towards other organized parking areas and destinations along the Vršič Road. Turnaround areas have been set up on both sides of the pass before the toll gates, allowing drivers to safely change direction when the summit parking areas are fully occupied or when a long queue forms on the right lane. If the parking queue extends to the point where the right lane separates from the main traffic lane, new vehicles should not stop on the left transit lane. In such cases, drivers can use the turnaround area or continue through the pass without the option to park at the summit. At the end of each week, supervisors will be present at the toll gates and at the summit to assist users with the new system and help manage traffic. According to the Directorate, the goal of the new traffic arrangement is safer and more orderly visits to the area, improved traffic flow, and better protection of the sensitive natural environment, particularly during the tourist season. The toll system has already been partially implemented since June 15, although it currently does not allow parking at the summit because the parking areas within the reconstruction of the Vršič Road are still under construction. Therefore, the parking toll gate remains closed, while the transit toll gate allows unlimited and free passage through the pass, with parking permitted at the areas beneath the pass. Construction work for organizing the parking areas at the summit continues, and the situation remains chaotic as drivers park everywhere, including on construction sites. Kranjska Gora Mayor Henrika Zupan noted that people do not respect regulations. The municipalities of Kranjska Gora and Bovec are trying to maintain order with the help of supervisors and wardens. “People ask and warn, trying to ensure the flow of traffic through the pass. Only police officers are authorized to enforce penalties, but they lack sufficient personnel,” she stated. She believes additional directional signs need to be installed before the final establishment of the new traffic regime to inform people whether the parking areas at the summit are occupied even before arriving at the base of Vršič. Additionally, it is already clear that there will be significantly fewer parking spaces than in the past, approximately two-thirds less, due to requirements from land management advocates in the Triglav National Park area. Currently, no one is satisfied with the situation at the pass, according to Mayor Zupan. “We are in a transitional phase and must endure a bit longer,” assessed Robert Klinar, director of the Kranjska Gora municipal administration, expressing regret that the state did not complete the work at the summit with the contractor before the start of the summer season, as originally planned. Problems also arise with the organized public transport over Vršič, which the government introduced this summer. “The road is as wide as it can be. Besides, the bus has limited capacity, and sometimes at the ends, the bus is full and has to wait.”