Since the middle of last week, when a new wave of mass departure of Albanians was registered, the Kosovo authorities suspended the departure of buses from Pristina to Belgrade, and banned bus operators from crossing administrative line Merdare. Passengers now cross administrative checkpoints by foot, reports Radio Television of Serbia (RTS).
If a bus leaves Dragaš, Prizren, or Gračanica to Belgrade, they have to stop in front of the Merdare crossing.
“We come with one bus to here, and then we need to take another bus for Belgrade. We change two buses,” says bus driver Hanifi Salihu.
For travelers, it means that they have to pass through police control by foot.
“It’s hard; it’s very difficult, with travel bags, old people, women with children. At night, at 2 or 3 in the morning, and if it rains it would be even worse,” said driver Salihu.
One of the passengers, Radmila Krstić, says she is sick, she has luggage and that it’s hard for her.
“It resembles temporary measures which they are, but I do not think it will be successful because people are like water: if they want to go, they will find a way,” said one of the travelers Stefan Filipović.
Transfer of passengers from one bus to another takes from half an hour to an hour, with control at the checkpoint.
“We go one by one, we show the documents and until further, they said, we have no explanation until the ministry decides,” Salihu says.
There is no indication when the blockade could be suspended.
The Pristina team for dialogue with Belgrade has no answer to the question and it points to other institutions. This confusion and avoidance of responsibility go hand in hand with a handover between old and new members of the government.
