Councillor enters sinkhole in central Bitola; municipality starts repairs
Municipal crews began fixing the sinkhole after SDSM councillors filmed the hazard in the strict centre of Bitola.
A councillor from SDSM entered a large hole that opened on Pece Matichevski Street in central Bitola to draw attention to the danger it posed to traffic, and municipal crews began repairs after the episode was circulated online.
Video prompted same-day action by public crews
In footage shared on social media late yesterday, SDSM councillor Jadrnanka Pavlovska walks along the street near the Centre for Culture and points to a large sinkhole on a busy stretch only a few steps from Shirok Sokak and Hotel Epinal, saying a car had fallen into the opening. The video then shows fellow SDSM councillor Sofija Ristevska-Petrusheva stepping into the hole and asking: "Is this how we love our city, is this how our city is developing?"
Ristevska-Petrusheva also warned that the hole lies close to the Bitola National Theatre and near one of the country’s oldest schools, questioning whether this level of safety and civic care is what local residents deserve.
The rupture appeared on one of the city’s busiest roads and had been left marked only with temporary plastic warning tape for several days, creating a persistent hazard for drivers and pedestrians.
Early this morning municipal public enterprises started repairing the site after the councillor’s visit. In a statement the Municipality of Bitola said heavy rains over recent days have damaged several streets across the city and that teams have been continuously working on repairs.
The municipal statement added that: "The damage that occurred near the Pelagonka 2 complex was identified in the recent period after which the Public Enterprise 'Niskogradba' Bitola placed appropriate markings and, using equipment for cutting, proceeded to detect the problem at this location from the aspect of water or sewage damage, after which an appropriate intervention will follow in coordination between the two public enterprises."
The municipality has announced intensified inspections by the Municipal Inspectorate, including nighttime and weekend patrols. Opposition councillors from SDSM, Poinaku, LDP and Levica have meanwhile been conducting their own inspections around town and posting frequent videos documenting holes, excavated streets, injured animals, overflowing waste collection vehicles and other local problems.
Photo: SDK.MK)
