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Zagreb's Escalators Finally Operational After 820-Day Wait: 'About Time!'
๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ท Croatia /Sports

Zagreb's Escalators Finally Operational After 820-Day Wait: 'About Time!'

From Veฤernji List · () Croatian

Translated from Croatian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Escalators at Zagreb's Importanne Center, connecting Tomislav Square to the Main Station, are operational after an 820-day closure.
  • The escalators are crucial for daily transit, used by up to 350,000 people.
  • Residents expressed relief and frustration over the lengthy two-year repair and replacement process, citing issues with public procurement and technical documentation.

Zagreb's Importanne Center escalators, a vital link between Tomislav Square and the ZET terminal at the Main Station, are finally back in service after an arduous 820-day closure. This essential infrastructure, used by as many as 350,000 people daily, had been out of commission for over two years, causing significant inconvenience.

Hallelujah! It was about time. I no longer have to use the regular stairs to get to the underpass. It's not easy for me with these crutches.

โ€” Stjepan Pinotiฤ‡A resident expressing relief upon the escalators' return to service.

Residents expressed a mix of relief and exasperation. "Hallelujah! It was about time," said Stjepan Pinotiฤ‡, who relies on the escalators due to mobility issues. Others, like Maja ล kare and Nedjeljko Misir, described the wait as "tragic" and a "disgrace," highlighting the difficulties faced, particularly by those with disabilities.

The prolonged delay stemmed from a complex process involving the replacement of the original escalators, which were over 30 years old and prone to breakdowns. The initial plan for repair shifted to replacement, triggering a lengthy public procurement process. Appeals to the State Commission for Public Procurement Control further extended the timeline, with actual replacement work commencing in autumn 2025.

It's incredible that we waited so long for such a small job.

โ€” Maja ล kareA resident commenting on the excessive wait time for the escalator repairs.

Additional setbacks included issues with technical documentation and delivery, compounded by "complex geopolitical circumstances" affecting the shipment of the escalators from China. Even after installation, a final month's wait was needed for the completion of stainless steel cladding. The escalators' location on private property also necessitated resolving property rights disputes between the City and Importanne Center regarding their management.

I am a hundred percent disabled, you have no idea how difficult it was for me. Waiting two years for this is a disgrace.

โ€” Nedjeljko MisirA disabled resident highlighting the hardship caused by the prolonged closure.

Deputy Mayor Luka Korlaet acknowledged the long-standing dispute over the escalators' management, which had to be settled before work could begin. The successful reactivation of this key transit point marks the end of a protracted and often frustrating chapter for Zagreb's commuters.

The discussion about who should manage these escalators lasted for a very long time.

โ€” Luka KorlaetDeputy Mayor of Zagreb explaining the property rights dispute that delayed the project.
About this summary

Originally published by Veฤernji List in Croatian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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