UNMIK/PR/517
PRISTINA--- UNMIK’s Department of Transport and Infrastructure has received a donation of 10 inter-urban and urban buses from the City of Barcelona. The buses will help to build up Kosovo’s fleet of buses which was severely depleted during the 1999 conflict.
“This donation is of great assistance in helping to rebuild the infrastructure of Kosovotrans,” said Qamil Feka, Technical Manager under the newly created Public Transport Authority. “The buses will be especially important in helping to transport Kosovo’s youth, who are often heavily dependent on bus service to get to school and other destinations.”
Five of the buses are destined for the city of Istog/Istok, in the Peje/Pec region, and five for various other municipalities. The ten buses are in relatively good condition and were inspected and certified by a senior official from the local Public Transport Authority before their arrival in Kosovo. Public bus transport is by far the most widely used means of transportation in the province where up to two thirds of Kosovars depend on bus service.
Currently, inter-urban public transport in Kosovo is carried out by the public company Kosovotrans and its fleet of around 200 buses which operate from terminals in 12 regional or municipal centers throughout the province. Before the conflict, there were nearly 1,000 buses serving Kosovo. This number shows that there is still a great need for bus donations, especially as Kosovo’s bus fleet is aging and buses are constantly having to be replaced.
“We are grateful for these donations, and we welcome many more,” said Freddy Bob Jones, Director of Public Transport with the Department of Transport and Infrastructure. “Currently the renewal of Kosovo’s bus fleet depends entirely on donations.”
There will be a handover ceremony with the buses present at the Pristina Bus Terminal at noon on Saturday, 3 March.