Albania Premier Apologizes and Promises Revised Toll Tariff for Local Residents

Tirana, Apr 06 (Tirana Echo) – Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama has apologized to the northern residents over the highway toll fee and has promised nothing will go ahead until new revised fee is put in place.

Rama apologized to the residents of Kukës, Has and Tropoja who last week angrily blocked and burned down the new toll center of the country’s main highway linking Albania with Kosovo. Residents are angry at the €5 one way fee saying it is too expensive for their region.

As the country’s opposition parties had blocked Albania’s main roads in a civil disobedience protest, the prime minister said in parliament his government did not have the sensitivity to explain to local residents the circumstances of the new road toll, promising the toll has been suspended until further consultations.

“There will be no toll fee for the Durrës-Kukës highway until we have solved the new revised tariff to be applied for local residents around the highway,” – said Rama in a half empty parliament boycotted by the opposition.

Rama said the government is in intensive talks with the private concessionary company and insisted the road cannot be maintained unless a toll is paid.

In a separate tele-conference call with representatives of the northern areas, Rama also promised the inoperative airport of Kukës will soon start to host low cost flights which will greatly help the area and facilitate the life of Albanian travelers.