Public transportation in Tirana will continue to operate at a reduced capacity indefinitely, if the Operators’ requests are not met, warned the Albanian Public Transportation Union.
On Monday, the Union decreased by half the number of buses operating in Tirana, citing concerns over high fuel prices and staff shortages.
Prior to its decision to reduce the fleet operating in Tirana, the Union sent a letter to Prime Minister Edi Rama outlining their demands, which included subsidies for ticket prices and monthly passes.
The Union also asked the Albanian government to remove excise duties and reduce VAT for public transport.
“We want to [the government] to understand that we aren’t at war with the Municipality, or the government, rather we want to sit together, because if measures aren’t taken, we will go bankrupt,” said a member of the Union.
Albanian public transport shut down between March and July 2020, and has been operating at reduced ridership ever since.
The Union claims that the pandemic and the energy crisis has caused bus operators considerable financial strain, requiring them to reduce their operations to survive.
