Jona Cenameri

At the end of 2023, the Municipality of Tirana and Mayor Erion Veliaj widely promoted the “School Streets” initiative as a concrete step towards increasing student safety in areas around schools.

“We are very proud to build this legacy for every child of Tirana for decades to come,” Veliaj declared in December 2023, announcing that by the end of 2024, 20 safe roads would be built near schools.

According to the promise , the initiative would directly affect 25,000 students.

The budget allocated by the Municipality of Tirana for the period 2024-2025 amounted to 102,951,351 lek. 

An additional 55,562,742 lek are planned for 2026, plus a new investment of 55,099,200 lek for “Elements for increasing pedestrian safety on the road”

Project

The “School Streets” program was introduced as a follow-up to interventions launched in 2020, initially in the “Naim Frashëri” and “Gustav Mayer” pilot schools. The project aimed to turn spaces that were part of the road into safe pedestrian areas, equipped with concrete traffic dividers, signage, and urban elements that limit parking and vehicle circulation.

The model was developed in collaboration with the local organization Center for Relations and international partners, based on the practices of European cities (Barcelona: “Protegim les Escoles”, Milan: “Strade Scolastiche”, Paris: “Rues aux Écoles”).

Fieldwork

On January 20, 2026, Faktoje.al conducted an on-site verification near 7 schools part of this program: “Mihal Grameno”, “Osman Myderizi”, “Naim Frashëri”, “Gustav Mayer”, “Shkolla e Kuqe”, “Fan Noli” and “Edith Durham”.

The view offered by the terrain varies significantly from one school to another.

Near the “Red School,” the concrete block fence that defines the safe space was largely intact. The area was marked and largely unoccupied by vehicles, although motorbikes occasionally passed by or parked.

The situation was different at “Fan Noli”, where the security perimeter was minimal. Motorbikes were parked inside the dedicated space, while a nearby business had added flower pots and tables, turning the area into a mixed space, far from the idea of ​​an exclusive street for children.

At “Mihal Grameno”, the panorama was even more problematic. A relatively large perimeter had been transformed de facto into a car park. Concrete blocks had been uprooted, broken or moved to the side, creating spaces for parking. A sign announcing “Road for Children” stood above a reality where vehicles were the priority.

A similar situation was also observed near “Osman Myderizi”, where traffic dividers had been moved to facilitate the entry of cars from several directions, while the parking lot did not function according to the planned scheme.

In the case of “Edith Durham”, a school still not functional after reconstruction, the fence looked more aesthetic, but even there some of the blocks had been moved and the space was also used for parking.

Meanwhile, “Naim Frashëri” and “Gustav Mayer ”, the first pilot schools of the project, were in the best condition. The spaces were clearer, unoccupied by vehicles and functioning according to their original purpose, although there were also some collapsed or moved blocks.

What does the Municipality say?

In official responses to Faktoje.al, the Municipality of Tirana confirms the implementation of 12 projects: Gjon Buzuku, Fan Noli, Red School, Osman Myderizi, Mihal Grameno, Niket Dardani, Edith Durham, Gustav Mayer, Naim Frashëri, Kindergarten 26, Daycare 17 and the Kosova School.

The General Directorate of Investment Planning and Monitoring of Public Works acknowledges that “in some of these facilities where the demolition of urban furniture objects that protect the pedestrian area has been encountered, rehabilitation is planned for the following year.”

The municipality informs that it is in the approval process for interventions in 20 other public buildings, as well as for the transformation of temporary interventions into more permanent solutions.

Verification

Of the 20 roads promised for 2024, 12 have been completed to date (January 2026).

Most of the safe roads are not functioning as intended. Concrete blocks have been systematically moved to create parking spaces. The situation at the Mihal Grameno school is currently in a degraded state.

Gustav Mayer and Naim Frashëri schools continue to operate as planned. 

Conclusion

Faktoje.al’s verification shows that the promise of 20 safe roads near schools has not been fulfilled within the stated deadline. Even where interventions have been implemented, some of them do not function according to the original purpose. Spaces dedicated to children have often been returned to parking lots or have been occupied.

Under these conditions, the “Roads for Children” initiative remains partially implemented, both in scope and function, while the daily safety of students continues to depend on real implementation on the ground, not just on projects on paper.