Public transport in Prishtina has been suspended starting today, after the city’s Urban Traffic service announced it could no longer operate due to severe financial shortages caused by the ongoing budget blockade. Several private bus lines have also halted operations, citing the same crisis.
Mayor Përparim Rama issued an urgent warning, saying residents are now facing a situation unlike anything seen before in the capital.
“In the history of the Republic of Kosovo, we have rarely witnessed citizens being endangered to this extent,” Rama said. “For more than a year, the funds legally allocated to the capital have been blocked due to political motives. We have filed criminal charges against Minister Murati for violating the law; we have approached the Prime Minister, the President, and the Constitutional Court. The citizens of Prishtina have been left without salaries.”
The collapse of the public transport system escalated tensions overnight between LDK leader Lumir Abdixhiku and the acting Minister of Finance, Hekuran Murati.
According to Abdixhiku, the ruling party received a clear message in the local elections regarding the consequences of its obstruction.
“They blocked Prishtina. And Prishtina spoke first — clearly. It brought LDK back as the leading party and left the blockers behind.”
Murati, however, shifted blame onto the former opposition.
“You chose to make your political battle on the backs of the citizens by refusing to vote the budget,” he responded.
The city now faces a paralyzing crisis, one that residents say reflects deeper systemic failures and political maneuvering — with ordinary citizens paying the highest price.
