New operator selected for Tirana urban bus line

TIRANA, April 10 – The Municipality of Tirana says it has selected a new operator of the Kombinat-Kinostudio line which will replace the existing poor condition buses improving service in one of the most problematic and overcrowded urban lines in the capital. The new operator will initially make available 20 new buses with a capacity of 100 passengers each, and introduce another 16 buses by the end of the year, taking the total number of buses to 36.
The Kombinat-Kinostudio buses will operate from 5.00 to 24.00 during summer and 5.30 to 23.00 during winter.
The municipality says the new service in the Kombinat-Kinostudio line will provide the highest standards, giving an end to the bad experience with this line. Almost all urban lines in Tirana have been replaced with new buses considerably improving service but overcrowding and delays remain an issue.
The Municipality of Tirana has warned public transport companies that any unilateral increase in bus fares would automatically strip them of their licences. Claiming difficult financial situation, the Association of Urban Transport in Tirana has called for an increase of the bus fares to 70 lek (Euro 0.5), up from lek 30 currently.
Last January, the Competition Authority launched a probe into the urban transport companies operating in Tirana after identifying signs of abuse with the trade of monthly season tickets.