In the last week, the temperatures across Albania plummeted to below zero, as a result of icy continental weather front from Siberia. This kind of weather is quite unusual for the country, completely unprepared for all the consequences it brings. Five people were found dead because of the cold and poor living conditions.
It also snowed in Tirana, where there hasn’t been proper snow in decades. It delighted many of the residents, as they woke up to see the city had been blanketed by a dusting of snow, a rare occurrence for the capital.
However, the snow and frozen roads caused numerous problems in the city, from major delays in public transportation, to accidents and injuries, closed roads, etc. The bad weather conditions demonstrated one more time the inability of public authorities to respond to emergencies and do ex-ante planning.
While it is difficult to distinguish the Mayor of Tirana Erion Veliaj from the Mayor of New York Bill De Blasio as regards rhetoric, it is easy to distinguish the amateurish way in which the local government of Tirana handles snow and ice hazards. So, both mayors reminded residents of respective cities to take precautions, to walk and drive with caution while the roads were still frozen. Thankfully, the snow in Tirana lasted no more than 24 hours, because the authorities were in no way prepared to keep the city moving in the event of longer bad weather. During this time, around 40 accidents and 78 injuries were recorded, according to official data from police and Agron Dogjani, doctor in the Trauma Center. The poorly maintained roads of Tirana during the snow constrained mobility, increased accident rates, increased human and property costs, caused injuries and delays.
It should be the municipality’s main priority to maintain roads in a safe condition in freezing weather. To make roads passable and safe during wintertime, the municipal personnel must either apply chemical deicers to melt ice and snow, or spread sand and salt before and after. While the municipal personnel cleaned only few of the main roads of the city, it was clearly shown that it lacked the capacity for the winter road maintenance process. The staff was inexperienced, and they lacked the support of technologies for snow removal.
Tirana does not usually experience heavy winters and apparently the municipality does not prepare any winter maintenance preparation plans. Neither does it foresee or plan for exceptional snow and ice situations. It equally fails to take any ex-ante measures to appease the future effects of weather occurrences and respond timely and efficiently with remedial work, to overcome ice and snow hazards. The Municipality of Tirana seems to favor new construction, rehabilitation, or reconstruction of roads over maintenance, considering how it has turned the city into a giant construction site lately. Maintenance differs from other types of roadwork. For 2016, the municipal budget foresaw $6.4 million for maintenance expenses, 30 % more than 2015 (according to Mayor Erion Veliaj, December 30, 2015). However, once again, the capital awoke to icy and snowy roads, almost non-existent public transportation in many of the areas and blocked, congested road,s and accidents.
The Meteorological Agency said cold temperatures and snow are expected soon again. Did the local authorities in Tirana and elsewhere in the country learn any lesson? Should people again fear chaos and as freezing conditions while the bad weather continues to last?
