The mayor of Pristina, Shpend Ahmeti, has invited the private transport companies in the capital to stop the protests because he added that the new buses cannot be withdrawn from circulation.
Many buses of several lines have stopped in the main streets of the capital in protest, while the workers of private companies are again protesting in front of the municipality.
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"Some of the private operators of public transport lines in Pristina are still protesting today, blocking the streets of the capital. The main complaint is that we intervened with new buses in some parts of the city where they are after profit, especially on Muharrem Fejza street and in Kalabri (at the economic school). Also, the transporter from Makovci complained that the Keqekolla bus is taking passengers because everyone wants to ride the new buses", wrote Ahmeti on Facebook.
He clarified the reasons for the circulation of new buses and the conditions that must be met by private companies for contracting with the municipality:
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They demand that the new buses be pulled from Calabria and the Hospital Quarter because they have their old buses behind on these lines.
1. Trafiku Urban has notified the subcontractors several times over the past few years that the new buses will replace the old ones.
2. Calabria and Hospital District have made hundreds of requests for public transport. There are many lines that pass in several parts on the same roads. The Municipality of Pristina is the owner of the public transport lines, and the service for citizens is above the interest. The municipality decides where the transport needs are and where it will place the lines and buses.
3. Prishtina needs 160 buses, and with the Credit Law we have a condition that 80 be from the public sector and 80 from the private sector. We have 51 publicly owned.
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4. Until January, we will tender the lines for the private sector and they will have the same payment contract for kilometers as urban traffic. Revenues from tickets are transferred to the municipalities. The contracts will be 7-10 years, but the companies should invest in much newer buses than they have today. We will have a standard in all public transport. We will see the possibility of faster contracting with those companies that have provided responsible transport for years in our municipality.
I invite the companies to prepare in the coming weeks for this activity and not to protest because the new buses cannot be withdrawn from circulation for the profit of private companies. Prishtina needs transportation, so let's think about the service to the citizens.
