Returning travelers from Neringa surprised by scene at ferry terminal

Returning travelers from Neringa faced a familiar sight of long car queues at the Smiltynė ferry terminal following the Žolinė holiday. However, this past Sunday, August 16, the situation was managed with an unusual presence: police officers were on duty from early morning to regulate traffic.

Unlike previous busy weekends, the Klaipėda County Police Department officers ensured order. They established a single-lane queue on the Hagen dune, preventing drivers from improperly using priority lanes. Those attempting to cut the line were questioned by officers, and if they lacked the right to do so, they were directed to return to the end of the queue. This included some Polish visitors and locals attempting to bypass the wait.

One traveler from Kaunas, who was vacationing with her children, noted that the police presence resulted in a wait of only about 20-22 minutes. A family from Šiauliai, visiting the area for the first time in a while, also reported a relatively short wait of about half an hour, with the queue extending only to the top of the hill.

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Due to the police presence, we waited about 20-22 minutes.

The report also touched upon the special status of "Neringa residents" who are permitted to cross without waiting if they have declared Neringa as their place of residence. Even some of these individuals were observed arguing with drivers ahead of them, insisting on their right to proceed immediately.

Currently, over 5,500 people are officially registered as Neringa residents, though only about 1,000 live there permanently. Typically, massive queues form when three ferries operate during peak days, leading to waits of up to 1.5 hours. On this particular Sunday, all four "Smiltynė Ferry" vessels were operational, contributing to the shorter wait times. Data from AB "Smiltynės perkėlos" indicates that over the weekend (Friday and Saturday), 8,884 cars, 27,544 passengers, and 12,790 cyclists were transported from Klaipėda to Smiltynė.

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But returning, we waited for the ferry for really not long, maybe half an hour. The queue was only to the top of the hill.