The Mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, says for Top Channel that in one year
he “shook” Tirana from sleep with dozens of projects.
“There is no doubt that the Tirana Municipality is working hard. I trust we can work even harder, and even better. This is the best for our municipality, after a 4-year-long sleep. Although the results are still far from my own ambition, Tirana is much cleaner today. Tirana is a city where children have more parks and more rehabilitated areas. Sky is the limit on what we can do in a city”, Veliaj says.
The Mayor feels especially proud for two things:
“The changes brought in infrastructure and mentality. Both should be in parallel lines. The city is not just bricks and concrete”, he says.
What are the most ambitious projects for the moment?
“Next month, when citizens return from holidays, they will see that work at the Skenderbej Square has already started. We will be almost done with the Small Ring Road. The playground at the Artificial Lake turned into a success story that we are repeating inside neighborhoods. A cleaning company will start operating to take the city’s hygiene to higher levels. Within this year we will start with a project for building 17 to 20 new schools. This will be the first year when we will put electronic bus tickets in use. For the first time we will pass Tirana’s general local plan. It will be voted this Autumn and foresees several interventions. This will be the best year for the Main Boulevard, because it will meet with the Tirana River. By the end of the year, citizens will see the first underground parking lot in our city”, Veliaj added.
However, there have been several confrontations with accusations and legal battles.
“I have never preferred to play the victim and blame others. Of course I am not happy with the slanders and insults launched in my direction. I am made of flesh and blood too. But as Mayor, I am not allowed to be emotional even when the President gets involved with politically biased things, reaching a level as banal as a playground. We have won legal battles and we expect positive results with the undergoing ones. I trust the Justice Reform will resolve some of these anomalies”, Veliaj said.
Top Channel
