On the first day of this year in Split, a new decision on communal order entered into force, in which higher penalties are prescribed for violators, so it can be expected that there will be no tourists in bathing suits on the streets this summer, because if they are caught by the communal order, you will be punished from 150 euro.

The same fine of 150 euros is prescribed for those who drink alcohol in public places, and the fine for walking a dog without a leash is in accordance with the decision on the conditions and manner of keeping pets and amounts to 66.36 euro.

The citizens of Split and their guests will be monitored on the streets by 21 communal wardens, and 12 more will be waiting in the city administration building.

Since August 2020, the city of Dubrovnik has had a similar decision on communal order, and tourists in swim wear in the heart of the historic Old City of Dubrovnik faced fines if 1,000 Kuna.

The new Split decision on communal order was made at the last session of the City Council in 2022, and it came into force with the new year.

According to municipal warden Josip Gabelica, it is a more comprehensive, precise and rigorous decision on fining violators compared to the previous one, and the intention was to bring order to the entire city, especially in the area of the cultural and historical core of the city (zone A).

The municipal decision introduced a new concept of prescribed prohibitions that refer exclusively to zone A, which has special protection, and to provisions that refer to the area of the entire city.

As in the previous decision, it is forbidden to set up ATMs and vending machines on the surface of public use, but, as Gabelica points out, the new decision, unlike the previous one, enables the punishment to be carried out by the municipal police.

According to the new decision on communal order, a person who is caught drinking alcohol in a public area will pay a fine of 150 euro, and the same amount will have to be paid by a person who walks around the city half-naked.

One of the most important changes was the ban on placing electroacoustic devices on the terraces of catering facilities (bars) in zone A, which means that speakers and amplifiers cannot be used in these places. As stated in the decision, it is allowed to perform live music without electroacoustic devices.

Anyone who does not comply with this rule will be fined 1,320 euro.

Sunshades and awnings have to now be beige in colour and without advertisements.

The equipment for the terraces of catering establishments that can be installed has also been specified, so there will no longer be swings, couches and seats that are not in accordance with urban equipment, and awnings and umbrellas must be neutral beige in colour and without advertisements.

So far, 20 ATMs in zone A and several kiosks have been removed, and the removal is still ongoing.

The new decision on communal order will also punish many other violations, throwing waste into the environment, occupying a public area without permission, leaving a vehicle without license plates on a public area and camping in places that are not intended for this.

"The new decision on communal order tried to include all situations that represent or potentially represent a threat of violation of communal order, destruction of communal infrastructure, destruction of public green areas or pollution of public areas, so that the communal order has the ability to punish all violations and return the area to its original state with a decision state. We wanted to more precisely define the procedure related to zone A in order to maintain the communal order faster and more efficiently", Gabelica concluded.