Denada Jushi
Hundreds of skateboards and electric motorbikes have been seized since Monday, when the State Police, following an announcement on social media by the Minister of Interior, Albana Koçiu, declared that the movement of skateboards would be immediately banned, following a large number of complaints and accidents reported recently.
However, this order came not only suddenly, but also without a proper legal basis, or a long-term plan for regulating this sector, initially following a sequestration action and then establishing a proper legal framework that will regulate this sector, a long-standing tradition in the "reactionary" model of taking public measures to overcome a problem.
This decision has sparked a wide discussion and reaction in public opinion. The reason is related not only to the order that entered into force immediately and the fact that the State Police has not clarified on what legal basis it is acting to stop and seize citizens' skateboards for an as yet undetermined period, but also to the issue that it was the Municipality of Tirana itself and Mayor Veliaj, who promoted these vehicles only a year ago as an alternative to public transport and reducing traffic on the streets of Tirana.
Migen Qiraxhi, from the Citizens' Center, states that "The State Police has acted illegally in blocking electric vehicles. It is unimaginable that without 24 hours from the announcement in the media and without any official document (or legal basis) being prepared, the State Police appears on the street to implement a request from the Minister that drastically affects a large number of Albanians and businesses. No public consultation for it, just a lightning initiative by the Minister that is just as lightning implemented."
ACQJ reached out to the State Police to get a comment on the situation and to find out on what legal basis they are acting, but as of the time of publication of this article we have not received any response.
Yesterday, a protest was held in front of the Traffic Police Commissariat regarding this decision.
Migen Qirazhi, from the Citizens' Resistance, notes for ACQJ that "Together with activists and citizens, we also organized a reaction in front of the Traffic Police Directorate, and yet none of the police officials undertook to explain the situation or return the skateboards to the citizens, shrugging their shoulders at an illogical and illegal activity undertaken by them."
The citizens questioned expressed that no regulation can be established overnight, and that this regulation harms them, because they use skateboards to avoid heavy traffic when going to work or school.
"Found in difficulty, the State Police had only one sentence for us : 'wait 30 days for the ministry to regulate the procedure, '" concludes Qiraxhi.
But other citizens who were asked about the decision said that skateboards have become a danger because they move everywhere and at high speed.
Shpresa, a lady on the street in Kavaja who was accompanied by her three-year-old granddaughter, tells us that rules need to be established, because skateboarders have often passed her on the sidewalk right next to her and that she felt in danger together with the child she was holding in fear.
The division on this issue has also been present in public opinion, where well-known people in various fields such as journalism or civil society have spoken out against this regulation.
Renaldo Salianji, a journalist, says that registering skateboards, limiting speed, age limits, and requiring riders to wear protective equipment would improve the picture of this problem.
The head of a skateboard business tells ACQJ that he learned on television that his company had been declared bankrupt by order of the Minister. The next day, in front of closed doors, he realized that the news was not just a media error.
The paradox, according to him, continues, when in the Republic of Albania, customs clearance and entry of this vehicle is permitted, but as of this Monday, their circulation is not allowed.
"I don't know what will happen to my business, which supports my family, except for the expenses I have incurred to buy supplies. We are afraid to wake up in the morning because we find ourselves in a chaotic situation, where the future is not only mine but the whole family's."
For safety expert Fatjon Softa, this decision is fair but hasty, and for this reason he provides figures showing the dangers of skateboards.
"For 2024 alone, we have about 191 cases, including cases of deaths resulting from their use. For 2025 alone, we have 212 cases, with 721 punitive measures by the State Police."
Albania lacks a specific law on electric scooters or motorcycles, leaving users without clear rules and legal protection. From January 2024 to May 2025, 35 accidents were recorded, 18 of them in Tirana; in the first five months of 2025 alone, 15 accidents and 212 cases of injuries were reported, mainly among young people aged 15–30.
No license, helmet, or registration is required, and existing fines for vehicles registered with state authorities are not applicable. International practices call for dedicated lanes, but these are either absent or not enforced.
In a city like Tirana or other large cities, traffic continues to remain an unresolved problem that affects all citizens. Also, the high price of oil prevents many citizens from using their cars, urban lines continue to have problems with schedules, so skateboards and scooters had become a solution for citizens who used them to carry out their work.
Quick solutions with stocks have not worked, even though they have been a constant practice over the years.
Legal clarity, the establishment of a working group, consultation with users, and the desire to resolve the best form for both security and not hindering their use would be the real solution that would not cause dissatisfaction.
Practices from European countries could serve as a solution to this situation. Germany has decided to register and limit the areas where their use is allowed. In France, you are fined large amounts if you do not respect the rules, in Italy there is a speed limit for them.
Borrowing these methods would facilitate the solution, all that is needed is the will to do it. acqj.al
