Road traffic uncertain in Kosovo, authorities responsible

The National Audition Office (ZKA) made the auditing report “Safety in road traffic” The report concludes that lack of implementation, organisation and co-ordination of activities by responsible authorities made road traffic uncertain for traffic participants.

This report notes that responsible bodies, Kosovo Police, which should ensure the implementation of rules by traffic participants and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, which should provide safe roads and infrastructure for traffic participants, are not effective and are not doing enough to increase traffic safety.

The auditing findings point out that coverage of police control roads in road traffic in the Pristina region is flawed, police controls do not navigate according to needs or risks, and controls are not regularly inspected or monitored by the Road Communications Division and by the Regional Communications Unit Pristina.

Moreover, the Kosovo Police Information System is characterised with incomplete and inaccurate data about analyzing and identifying causes and accident factors in road traffic.

Also, according to auditing findings, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has failed to implement important road safety criteria, and has not made sufficient efforts to identify and manage dangerous sites on the road.

Moreover, MlT has not established databases that would enable identification of dangerous locations and accurate identification or identification of causes and accident factors. Furthermore, monitoring of vehicles technical control centres from MlT and the subject authorised for surveillance was flawed.

Regarding the findings of the report, General Auditor Besnik Osmani said the shortcomings identified in the audit present concern the level of implementation of measures needed to improve traffic safety.

“The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, Kosovo Police and the local level have a key role in providing security in road traffic to traffic participants. However, the shortcomings identified in audits present concern about the level of implementation of measures needed to improve safety in road traffic”, Osmani stressed.

In order to address urgent security in road traffic in the country, the National Audition Office recommends the Government of Kosovo and responsible authorities to take concrete steps to provide security in road traffic.

“performance auditing report Safety in road traffic” includes 2016, 2017 and 2018. The audit aimed at assessing whether public institutions have taken appropriate action to provide and promote safety in the country's road traffic.