Tragic accident near TEG, Directorate of Transport: The two Egyptians did not have a driving license

The General Directorate of Road Transport Services (DGRTS) has officially reacted after reports regarding the documentation of two Egyptians who lost their lives in the tragic accident that occurred near the TEG roundabout two days ago.

According to the announcement, the verifications carried out show that Mohamed Lotf and Mohamed Ali have not been provided by the DPSHTRR with an Albanian driving license nor with a Certificate of Professional Ability (DAP) for the "Automotive Driver" profile, which is the mandatory document for driving vehicles for special use, which also includes concrete mixer trucks.

The institution explains that the two foreigners have not even presented documentation for the recognition of professional skills to drive a concrete mixer truck in Albania.

The DPSHTRR emphasizes that, according to the Road Code, foreign citizens may drive vehicles in Albanian territory with a valid driving license issued by the authorities of their country, for a period of up to one year. However, Albania does not have a reciprocity agreement with Egypt for the recognition or conversion of driving licenses. 

" Regarding the news about the provision of driving licenses and professional documentation to Egyptian citizens Mohamed Lotf and Mohamed Ali, the General Directorate of Road Transport Services (GDRTS) clarifies:

After verifications carried out in the electronic registers and official databases administered by the DPSHTRR, it results that citizens Mohamed Lotf and Mohamed Ali have not been provided by the DPSHTRR with an Albanian driving license and have not been provided with a Certificate of Professional Ability (DAP) for the "AUTOMAKINIST" profile.

The "Automachinist" DAP is the required certificate for driving special purpose vehicles, which also includes concrete mixer trucks. According to the legislation in force, concrete mixer trucks are classified as special purpose vehicles (APV) and their drivers must be equipped with the relevant category of driving license, as well as a Certificate of Professional Ability (DAP) of the "AUTOMAKINIST" profile.

Meanwhile, in accordance with the provisions of the Road Code of the Republic of Albania, foreign citizens may circulate and drive vehicles in the territory of the Republic of Albania with a valid driving license issued by the competent authorities of their country (Article 133) for the legally defined period of up to one year.

Consequently, the fact that a foreign citizen drives a vehicle in the territory of the Republic of Albania does not automatically mean that he has been issued with an Albanian driving license by the DPSHTRR.

The Republic of Albania does not have a bilateral reciprocity agreement with the Arab Republic of Egypt for the recognition and conversion of driving licenses, while Egypt does not appear on the list of countries with which the Republic of Albania has agreements in force for the mutual recognition and conversion of driving licenses.

Consequently, the claims that citizens Mohamed Lotf and Mohamed Ali have been provided by the DPSHTRR with an Albanian driving license or a Certificate of Professional Ability (DAP) for Motor Vehicle Drivers are not true.

DPSHTRR reiterates that it is a public institution that exercises its activity on the basis of law, transparency, traceability and equality before the law.

Any procedure for obtaining a driving license, Certificate of Professional Ability (DAP), Certificate of Professional Competence (CKP) or any other road transport document is carried out only after meeting the requirements set out in the applicable legal and sub-legal framework.

"The DPSHTRR remains at the disposal of law enforcement bodies and competent authorities for any verification or additional information that may be requested within the framework of the investigations into the event in question and invites the media and public opinion to refer to verified official facts before publishing claims that unfoundedly violate institutional activity ," the DPSHTRR announced.