Engineer Lukić on Terazije Sculpture: 'Nowhere in the World Do They Place Distracting Objects on Roundabouts'

A new sculpture installed on Belgrade's Terazije square has drawn criticism from traffic engineer Dragomir Lukić, who argues it poses a safety hazard by distracting drivers. While acknowledging that aesthetic taste is subjective, Lukić stated he has never encountered roundabouts in his extensive travels, including Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, and the Netherlands, that feature objects designed to divert drivers' attention. He maintains that the sole purpose of elements within a roundabout should be to guide traffic flow via standard signage.

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Everyone has their opinion, but I will tell you this – all the roundabouts I have seen, in Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, and all over the world, including the Netherlands, where the Dutch invented the turbo roundabout, there are no objects in the roundabout that would distract the driver. There are only traffic signs that direct drivers which way to go. And that is all I can tell you. This is subjective, some people like it, I don't.

Lukić expressed skepticism about the design process, suggesting that city officials, including the mayor and the head of the city traffic service, may lack the necessary traffic engineering expertise. He pointed out the absence of clear directional signage for vehicles entering the roundabout, specifically regarding lane choices for left turns or going straight. This lack of guidance, he contends, is a significant flaw.

Recounting his experience with roundabouts since the last century, Lukić emphasized the universal presence of traffic signs at their entrances, indicating destinations and at exits, clarifying routes. He contrasted this with the Terazije roundabout, where such essential navigational aids are reportedly missing. He also noted instances of vehicles incorrectly entering a restricted area, indicating confusion caused by the current setup.

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It is visible that a traffic engineer did not plan this. The mayor and, let me say, the head of the city traffic service, are not traffic engineers, they have no idea. That is why we don't even have traffic signs here for entering the roundabout, where they turn when they turn left, where they go when they go straight. There is nothing.

Lukić concluded that the new roundabout offers no discernible improvement over the previous intersection. He ironically suggested the only benefit might be its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) through construction, referencing a statement by the president about infrastructure projects boosting the economy. However, he questioned the utility of such projects, citing the example of an unused stadium.

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This roundabout contributes nothing to traffic, because we had it before. Vehicles from Prizrenska Street entered here normally, turned left and right, and they don't even have to go there, they can go directly through the Terazijski tunnel to the other side and do their business. Here we have another problem.