- Title: 427 Austria holiday traffic jam
- Date: 7th August 2020
- Description:Holidaymakers wait up to four hours before the Karawanken tunnel to cross into Slovenia Holidaymakers have to wait up to four hours in their cars in long queues to cross the border to Slovenia. The traffic jam on the highway in Austria is around 13 kilometers long, reaching nearly to Villach. There are less cars due to the COVID-19 crisis, but as there are strict border controls on the Slovenian side, the traffic jam built up. Aid workers on motorcycles try to reach the car drivers in the heat and distribute water bottles, and games to the children. The tunnel capacity is 1,000 cars per hour, but on Saturday only 500 to 600 cars per hour can pass as there are border controls on the Slovenian side behind the tunnel. Most of the people in the traffic congestion are in good mood, as they expected to wait for several hours, but some have not enough water or food. Shotlist - VS Road workers setting up sign to warn drivers about traffic jam - SOUNDBITE (German) Josef Podlipnik, road worker, Asfinag: "From 3 in the morning, there has been a lot of traffic." - Reporter asking (German): "Is this sign more recognizable than the old on?" - SOUNDBITE (German) Karl Kopatz, road worker, Asfinag: "In any case, with led lighting, car drivers look at it." - VS Traffic jam, drivers standing next to their cars - VS Long queues of cars - SOUNDBITE (German) Wolfgang Botthof, highway maintenance agency: "The tunnel is not used to capacity, we could have 1,000 cars passing, now there are 500 to 600 cars. It is the control after the Karawanken tunnel." - VS Traffic jam - VOXPOP (German) Josef Jungbauer, driver from Munich: "Yes, we absolutely want this year on the sea." [Reporter asking (German): "How long did you stand?"] "I think all in all nearly around four hours." [Reporter asking (German): "But you look quite relaxed?"] "Yes we have enough to drink and food." - VOXPOP (German) Doris Möhrendorf, tourist from Hannover: "Well, you know you have to wait, and we are looking forward to our holiday. Austria is beautiful, Croatia is beautiful, we are fine with this." - VS Aid worker on motorcycle driving through traffic jam - VS Aid worker distributing water bottles - SOUNDBITE (German) Martin Sitter, aid organization, Arbeitersamariterbund: "We see dehydration. With our motorcycles we are smaller than cars and therefore could go faster, as sometimes the rescue lane is not as wide as it should be, but we could go through." - Tracking shot of motorcyclist driving
- Collection: ORF
- Genre:News
- Producer:ORF
- Transmission Date:08/08/2020
- Decade: 2020s