30 Oct 2010 / 16:27
A perfect storm of road and water works in Pristina has forced police to deploy extra patrols to deal with angry motorists and has left businesses reeling.
Besiana Xharra
Life is hard these days for taxi diver Hajredin Bytyqi. “I have very little work,” he complains. “People don’t want to take taxis because of the chaos in the traffic.” Bytyqi parks every day at the rank by Bill Clinton Boulevard.
But the road has been closed now for almost four months. Bill Clinton is one of the most important thoroughfares shut for road works over recent months, but far from the only one.
The city council, the Ministry of Transport and the water authority all have major schemes ongoing in the capital.
Businesses from taxi drivers to cafés say the works are ruining trade, while police say the disruption is wasting officers’ time. But authorities maintain that the work is essential and promise to end the disruption soon.
Bytyqi said the delays had trippled the cost of taxi journeys across the city from an average of two to six euro. Even the city’s biggest taxi firms have been struggling with the changes.
One driver, from the Roberti Taxi firm, told Balkan Insight that his workload was down by half because of the traffic.
“We are drowning in this mess,” he added.It is not just those who ply their trade driving on the road who are suffering.
In the “Little Café” neighbourhood, famed for its terraces lined with coffee drinkers, venues complain that trade has plummeted.Their road has been dug up since the summer while the water pipes are replaced.
Arben Jetishi, owner of Spa Bar, said everyone is losing money this year.“We understand that construction has to take place but do not understand the delays,” he said. “Installing a water pipe should not take so long.”
Hydajete Kuqi, owner of a boutique in the now dug-up Bill Clinton Boulevard, complains that customers have deserted his shop.
“Business has fallen off and we sell very little now,” he said. “Apart from the chaos, people don’t come because of the dust.”
The tailbacks and delays are being blamed for a decline in Pristina’s already erratic driving standards. Police say they have had to deploy an extra ten patrol teams to monitor crossroads and keep traffic flowing.
“Increasing the number of police in the streets is a waste of resources,” one said, “but this is part of our job.” Muhammad Gashi, from Pristina municipality, said the situation was improving and the blocked roads would reopen soon.
“We’re asking people to be patient until these projects are completed because they are being carried out for their benefit,” Gashi said.
Ridvan Shahini, director of infrastructure in the municipality, attributed the chaos to around 100,0000 cars entering Pristina every day. “It’s creating a huge mess,” he said.
But opposition members of the council say city hall is also responsible for the chaos. Shemsi Veseli, a councilor for the Sunny Hill district, from the Democratic Party of Kosovo, said planning had been poor.
“It’s pointless saying that more than 100,000 cars come into the capital every day when this happens in every capital in the world,” he said.
“The municipality should deal with this situation.” He added that mayor Isa Mustafa had not kept his promise, made following his reelection last in November, to build an underground car park at the entrance to the capital.
Veseli said roads should not have been closed until alternative routes had been found, in coordination with the Ministry of Transport. The Ministry said the construction of a major roundabout at the edge of the city will be completed next year, as announced, relieving many of the current hold-ups.
Life is hard these days for taxi diver Hajredin Bytyqi. “I have very little work,” he complains. “People don’t want to take taxis because of the chaos in the traffic.” Bytyqi parks every day at the rank by Bill Clinton Boulevard.
But the road has been closed now for almost four months. Bill Clinton is one of the most important thoroughfares shut for road works over recent months, but far from the only one.
The city council, the Ministry of Transport and the water authority all have major schemes ongoing in the capital.
Businesses from taxi drivers to cafés say the works are ruining trade, while police say the disruption is wasting officers’ time. But authorities maintain that the work is essential and promise to end the disruption soon.
Bytyqi said the delays had trippled the cost of taxi journeys across the city from an average of two to six euro. Even the city’s biggest taxi firms have been struggling with the changes.
One driver, from the Roberti Taxi firm, told Balkan Insight that his workload was down by half because of the traffic.
“We are drowning in this mess,” he added.It is not just those who ply their trade driving on the road who are suffering.
In the “Little Café” neighbourhood, famed for its terraces lined with coffee drinkers, venues complain that trade has plummeted.Their road has been dug up since the summer while the water pipes are replaced.
Arben Jetishi, owner of Spa Bar, said everyone is losing money this year.“We understand that construction has to take place but do not understand the delays,” he said. “Installing a water pipe should not take so long.”
Hydajete Kuqi, owner of a boutique in the now dug-up Bill Clinton Boulevard, complains that customers have deserted his shop.
“Business has fallen off and we sell very little now,” he said. “Apart from the chaos, people don’t come because of the dust.”
The tailbacks and delays are being blamed for a decline in Pristina’s already erratic driving standards. Police say they have had to deploy an extra ten patrol teams to monitor crossroads and keep traffic flowing.
“Increasing the number of police in the streets is a waste of resources,” one said, “but this is part of our job.” Muhammad Gashi, from Pristina municipality, said the situation was improving and the blocked roads would reopen soon.
“We’re asking people to be patient until these projects are completed because they are being carried out for their benefit,” Gashi said.
Ridvan Shahini, director of infrastructure in the municipality, attributed the chaos to around 100,0000 cars entering Pristina every day. “It’s creating a huge mess,” he said.
But opposition members of the council say city hall is also responsible for the chaos. Shemsi Veseli, a councilor for the Sunny Hill district, from the Democratic Party of Kosovo, said planning had been poor.
“It’s pointless saying that more than 100,000 cars come into the capital every day when this happens in every capital in the world,” he said.
“The municipality should deal with this situation.” He added that mayor Isa Mustafa had not kept his promise, made following his reelection last in November, to build an underground car park at the entrance to the capital.
Veseli said roads should not have been closed until alternative routes had been found, in coordination with the Ministry of Transport. The Ministry said the construction of a major roundabout at the edge of the city will be completed next year, as announced, relieving many of the current hold-ups.
balkan insight
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