Struga transport operators warn of suspension of routes starting August 24

Around 30,000 residents of Struga’s villages risk being left without public transport after 15 transport operators announced that they would stop providing passenger services starting August 24. They link the decision to unpaid debts that the Municipality of Struga has owed for years for student transportation, as well as to the fact that ticket prices have not changed since 2022.

The transport operators have asked Struga Mayor Mendi Qyra and the Municipal Council to consider their demands so that they can continue operating. Some of them have already stopped working as of today.

On July 24, the transport operators sent the Municipality of Struga a written request, giving it 15 days to settle the debt and review the fares.

“We decided to confront the public transport problem in this way because we operate routes over long distances. The road from Struga to Misllodezhdë is around 20 kilometers long and reaches an altitude of up to 950 meters above sea level. We have tried to preserve this route and serve the population, but rising fuel prices, spare parts and vehicle maintenance costs have made us unable to cope with all the daily difficulties. Our village is in a mountainous area, while Bogovica, Bërçeva, Prisovjani and other settlements are also included in this zone. The residents of these places must have guaranteed transportation on time,” said Flori Mena, a transport operator from the village of Misllodezhdë.

The transport operators say they can no longer wait for a solution to the situation. “We cannot endure another month, let alone until the 12th month of 2026. We hoped that things would work and that we would make progress, while the previous debts would be paid, not that we would become even more burdened with obligations to secondary schools. I do not know how we are supposed to continue working; if they know, let them tell us. In the end, I also told the mayor: What solution do you think you will use to continue—will you bring drivers and buses from Nepal?” declared Negovan Shumulikoski, a transport operator from the village of Llozhan.

Struga Mayor Mendi Qyra acknowledges that the obligations are old and have accumulated over the years. “We have the capacity to settle the outstanding debts, but this would normally be carried out over a period of three to four months, as payments are being made continuously. This debt belongs to the previous administration, and the transport operators should demand accountability from the former mayors and former officials, who are now in the opposition, as to why the payments have not been made until now,” Qyra said.

Regarding travel fares, Qyra said they would be increased in line with the parameters set out in the budget. According to him, the proposal to increase prices will be presented at the next meeting of the Council. /Alsat.mk