Albania's public transport to cut bus services by 20–30% from September 1

Public transport operators in Albania have announced that, from tomorrow, 1 September, they will reduce bus services by about 20–30% because of rising operating costs and the government’s failure to deliver a promised fuel compensation.

"We are forced to operate with a fleet reduced by about 20-30%, depending on the financial and operational capacity that each operator currently has at their disposal. We made the decision after continuous requests to the competent institutions to extend the period for fuel compensation for at least three months, because the costs of operating with a full fleet are unbearable," reads the statement by the National Association for Urban Transport and the Association for Urban and Interurban Transport.

Appeal to authorities and scope of the reduction

In a letter sent to the prime minister’s office, the ministries of economy and infrastructure and energy, and the Municipality of Tirana, the associations stressed that the step is not a voluntary choice by operators nor a lack of willingness on the part of authorities to ensure normal public transport services.

The transport groups say the cuts are a direct consequence of their inability to cover the costs of running a full fleet, with fuel expenses singled out as one of the main items. They urged that the situation be treated as a priority and with urgency to avoid further deterioration of services and to restore full operational capacity as soon as possible.

Since May, the public transport associations have repeatedly warned they cannot cope with the rise in fuel prices and have questioned the duration of the compensation of 50 lek per litre. Albania currently has the highest fuel prices in the region: diesel costs €2.38 per litre while gasoline is €2.22 per litre.

Photo: press material from the event