Skopje, 13 December 2022 (MIA) – The protest ends and buses will be removed from the blockades after this press conference. We’ll give room for a dialogue as proposed by Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski, Lenin Jovanovski, director of private bus company “Sloboda Prevoz”, one of the protesting companies, told the media on Tuesday.

He said all private bus companies have agreed to end the protest and to give a chance to settle the dispute within the institutions rather than on the streets.

“We know all problems are settled on the table, however someone should invite all of us on this table to present the problems and to propose how it could be settled within the legislation,” Jovanovski stated.

After the press conference, he said, a new demand will be prepared in context of what PM Kovachevski had said, to include all of his suggestions. Jovanovski said he hoped the protesting companies will be invited to a meeting with the prime minister.

Earlier today, PM Kovachevski proposed that a meeting with the private bus companies must also include the City of Skopje authorities because the government has no jurisdiction over the public transport in the city.

Speaking at the news conference, Jovanovski said they accepted and “insisted” that the meeting is also attended by City of Skopje and Public Bus Transport officials.

“We fully accept everything the prime minister said because the truth is on our side,” Jovanovski said urging the dialogue to be intensive so as to be closed soon.

Companies “Sloboda Prevoz” and “Makekspres” staged protests on November 28 by setting up roadblocks on Goce Delchev and Krste Petkov Misirkov boulevards in Skopje, demanding debts owed to their companies to be settled before they go back to work.

As there was no outcome, the private transporters continued roadblocks in Skopje on December 5, with about 200 buses blocking several major intersections in the city. On Friday, the private bus transporters moved the protests in front of the City of Skopje barracks and the Ilindenska boulevard.