"Big" Summit, shops locked and citizens stranded

As EU leaders gathered in Tirana for the European Political Summit, the scion of the well-known Tufina family lowered the small shutter of the shop, leaving the remaining hours in the country waiting.

"I don't know if the watchmaker's craft can be called a business, but I will close the shop as soon as this total lockdown is over," says Tufina, a day before Tirana, especially the center and its surroundings, was placed under a large security cordon.

Safety tape, many police officers, and not a single car is visible in a large area of ​​Tirana, where many roads are closed at certain times, not only in the "Skënderbej Square" area, but almost half of Tirana's main axes.

It's not just the Summit that is the problem of congestion, but many other sporting or cultural events that, in addition to the benefits in terms of image, bring costs to small businesses by forcing them to close their stores.

BLOCKAGE YES, REWARD NO
Businesses, especially small ones, seem to be the most penalized by blockages due to events, both national and international.

"We are being harassed every day. With the removal of roadside parking, daily traffic has dropped. We are often forced to isolate ourselves with the lanes due to events. Who pays for our losses?, the owner of a rented shop on "Myslym Shyri" street raises unanswered questions, but he refuses to be identified. "We always get into trouble with all kinds of inspectors and tax collectors," says the middle-aged man who is arranging some clothes with a young saleswoman.           

BUSINESSES THAT "WELCOME" THE CLOSURE 
While some businesses complain about the frequent blockages, there are others who not only do not consider the losses in daily turnover a problem, but see it as good advertising for Albania and an increase in tourism. Such is the owner of a shop that sells everything from traditional clothing to small knick-knacks, mainly with national motifs.

"I don't care about politics at all, but every national and international event is welcome. It's not a problem to block roads or close shops, because the benefits that come afterwards are greater," he says.

He adds that international events are the best advertisement for foreign tourism. "I can't remember how many times I closed my shop due to Lulzim Basha's protests," he adds, adding that he is one of the many citizens and businessmen who "ate the tear gas that the police threw at the protesters."

URBAN CHAOS
Before the European Summit another event took place in early May. The "Giro d'Italia" landed in Albania for two days, a rare event in international sports such as cycling. Beyond the good, there is also another negative side that mainly affects businesses and citizens who will have to "do laps" to find a path to cross.

The chaos in the organization was seen when, due to the inability to create "alternative exits", two incidents occurred in the important sporting event, the "Giro d'Italia".

A cyclist collided with a citizen who blocked his path to get from one side to the other, while the slightly injured cyclist interrupted the race and prevented the team from continuing normally towards the finish line.

Also on a narrow road, another cyclist is seriously injured and ends up in the hospital.

Albania, especially the chaotic urban areas of cities, finds it quite difficult to hold events, but this does not prevent local and central government initiatives from offering themselves to hold various international events.

CONCLUSION
National and international events often create blockages that affect the daily income of businesses, especially small ones, and there is no financial compensation for losses. Also, the urban infrastructure, especially in Tirana, is not suitable for events, both domestic and foreign, bringing chaos to the free movement of citizens but also economic damage to businesses. Faktoje.al