Albania Introduces €10 Toll Fee on Highway with Kosovo

Tirana, March 25 (Tirana Echo) – The highway linking Albania to Kosovo will from today start charging a €10 Euros roundtrip fee in what is highly criticized measure by travelers using the highway between the two neighboring countries.

The “Nation’s Road” highway which was built in 2009 boasts a 5.5km tunnel and has yet to be completed in certain areas of the Albanian side, around the northern city of Kukës and close to the border with Kosovo.

Kosovo’s authorities have completed their part linking the border with capital Prishtina, while Albania’s road, although relatively new, remains increasingly damaged and incomplete.

In an attempt to improve its quality, Albania’s government decided last year to introduce a toll section charging normal cars a one-way €5 Euros fee.

The fee starts being applied as of today 12:00am with two toll booths in each direction of the highway.

Commenting on the measure, former prime minister Sali Berisha who is credited with building the highway under his government, criticized the move.

Albania ensures €300 million Euros from the Nation’s Road and instead of using some of its revenues to maintain it, Edvin Rama taxes Albanians because they wish to travel to each-other,” said Berisha in a Facebook status.

The residents of the Kukës area have blocked the road several times, protesting the fee as a discriminatory measure which will make their travel to Tirana more expensive. Civil society organizations have also rejected the toll fee as a decision which will make transport between Albania and Kosovo more expensive.

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