Railway Regulatory Authority Board Required

Kosovo Assembly MPs at the plenary session are considering the recommendation of the Commission for Agriculture, Forestry, Rural Development, Environment, Space Planning and Infrastructure for the dismissal of members of the Board of the Railways Regulatory Authority.

The chairman of the Commission for Agriculture, Forestry, rural Development, Environment, Space Planning and Infrastructure, Victory Pacolli, said that the composition of this board is not professional, until she added that the Railways Regulatory Authority has not worked in modernising railway transport.

Pacolli cited blocking the operation of railway lines, besides Pristina-Peje.

The Railway Regulatory Authority has failed in bringing illegal trains from Serbia under control in direction of the Mitrovica station. Every year we have a decrease in the number of travelers in railway transport. During the 2007-2020 period, we have a decrease in the number of travelers from 417 thousand to 58 thousand and 819 travelers. We do not have a literal analysis of why we have such a drop”, she said.

Seeking from Kosovo's Parliament deputies to vote for the dismissal of this board, she said failures have been found.

The existence of 268 illegal binary crossings which are constantly a threat to the lives of citizens, during 2016-2020 alone were injured by 48 people until we have 11 people dead. It's disturbing that there's no signposts placed in the respective and high risk places for the lives of citizens, and as a result today we have construction of homes and residential objects near rail tracks or rail networks. The Railway Regulatory Authority has neglected co-operation with the municipal level and security organs. The Railway Regulatory Authority has violated the operator license operating regulation in the rehabilitation of railways”, Pacolli said.

The Board of Regulatory Railway Authority is headed by Arsim Berisha, while members are Guzim Qerim, Shculmbim Hyseni and Ilmi Ahmeti.