Fresh asphalt on Kozara Street in Bitola stained by runoff from garbage trucks
Residents say puddles of smelly runoff appeared on the new asphalt; councillors shared videos showing leaking garbage trucks.
Freshly laid asphalt on Kozara Street in Bitola was stained this week by foul, dirty runoff from a garbage collection truck, residents reported.
Yesterday (19 August 2026) people walking along the street covered their noses and avoided puddles of contaminated liquid on the new pavement, according to witnesses. Similar stains have appeared on other streets in the city after trash collection, when trucks leave behind a dirty residue.
Local councillors publish footage
Two Bitola councillors, Dimitar Kuzmanovski of LDP and Ivan Chulakoski of Poinaku, posted videos showing collection trucks leaking and contaminating streets. One of the clips also recorded a garbage worker cleaning the truck.
The videos circulated by the councillors highlight recurring problems with runoff and unpleasant odours that follow some municipal waste-collection runs, rather than isolated damage limited to the resurfaced section of Kozara Street.
Residents say the stains appear shortly after collection and create both an environmental nuisance and a visible setback for recently completed road works.
The incident raises questions about waste-truck maintenance and the oversight of street-cleaning operations in Bitola.
Photo: SDK.MK)
