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Traffic Normalised at Kosovo-Serbia Border in Merdare

Kosovo police says that the traffic at the Merdare border crossing has returned to normal, after being paralysed over the weekend, with kilometres-long queues.

Fatmir Aliu BIRN Pristina

Hundreds of people were stranded on both sides of the border for hours, due to what Kosovo Police described as failure of the Serbian police to properly manage the flow of passengers wanting to enter Kosovo.

Kosovo police spokesperson Baki Kelani told BIRN on Monday that according the latest information the traffic flow is normalized on both sides.

“We have no delays anymore at Merdare. The information that we have is that even on the Serb side of the border, there are no more queues,” Kelani said.

In a press release issued on Sunday, Kosovo Police has called on public to avoid using the Merdare crossing due to the long queues.

There is no proper infrastructure on either side of the border.  Kosovo’s media report that due to soaring temperatures, which on Sunday reached 35 degrees, many travellers crossed the border on foot in search for water and food, leaving their vehicles on the Serbian side of the border.

Kosovo police said, based on unofficial information it received from passengers entering Kosovo, that the queues were created because the Serbian police failed to perform its duties.

Serbian police in Prokuplje, which have the authority over the Merdare area, has not commented on the traffic jam.

 

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