Overlooked taxi drivers
Prishtina’s taxi drivers are essential yet forgotten by the law.
The sun shines directly on a chessboard set on a table beneath the trees in Prishtina’s Ulpiana neighborhood. Four older men — two on each side — deliberate over their next moves. The 32 pieces start to spread across the board’s black and white squares.
Apart from the rhythmic drip of water from the neighborhood’s well-known fountain, the word “checkmate” rings out most often. For these men, winning seems to hold less importance than simply spending the late-June afternoon beneath the trees. Just over 100 meters away, others make the most of the sunny weather by enjoying a coffee outdoors after work.
Meanwhile, other men wait nearby, either sitting in cars or leaning against them, waiting for work. They are drivers from Prishtina’s private taxi companies.
For 12 years, from 2002 to 2014, this neighborhood is where Qamil Maqedonci, a former driver for Victory taxi company waited for his next ride. The 60-year-old from Prishtina knows the area well.
“There isn’t a spot here where we haven’t spent time. Summer or winter, holiday or not, it doesn’t matter,” he said.
As Maqedonci searches for the spot where he used to park his car, 41-year-old Ardian Gashi, another former taxi driver, looks through some photos of his old colleagues. Most of the pictures show smiling faces, meat and drinks, at various after-work parties he and his old colleagues organized. As Gashi scrolls through his Facebook archive, he pauses at a photograph and points to one of his former colleagues. He recalls the moment that friend was fired.
“All the colleagues came together to get him reinstated,” said Gashi, who had worked as a taxi driver for nine years at the same company as Maqedonci. “It’s like having a tooth removed — even if it’s small, it feels like it leaves a huge gap. That’s how close we were.”
Yet, while they worked, their faces looked different from in the photograph. Maqedonci still remembers what the owner said to them during one of their work meetings: “If you want to work, work. If not, walk away. I can find another driver in the garbage bin.”
In 2014, Maqedonci and Gashi went to work as usual. However, instead of receiving their expected pay for the last month, they left the meeting — along with about 20 others — unemployed. No reason or documentation was provided, but they suspected they were fired in retaliation for objecting to recent warnings about salary cuts.
“They just told us to ‘walk away.’ Nothing else,” said Gashi.
Even after being fired, they didn’t leave the neighborhood where they once waited for work. Among the Ulpiana neighborhood’s apartment towers, Maqedonci and Gashi found a local cafe to pass the time in. For 10 years straight, they gathered there, sharing frustrations about working conditions.
In 2014, Maqedonci and Gashi met at the cafe to plan their next steps after being dismissed from work. In September of that year, they, along with their colleagues, filed a complaint with the Labor Inspectorate (LI) regarding their unjustified dismissal. In addition to the dismissal, they reported several other labor rights violations they had faced during their employment. Following the LI’s decision, they submitted a lawsuit to the Basic Court in Prishtina in December of that year.
10 years later, Gashi, Maqedonci and their former colleagues continue to meet at the cafe, not just to maintain their friendship but also to strategize about their legal actions in their decade-long battle for justice.
So much work, so many violations
Anyone who has driven through Prishtina knows how overwhelming the experience can be. Congested roads, people rushing to reach their destinations and ongoing road repairs demand constant attention, precision and a lot of patience. When one has to navigate these roads all day — often during extended hours, both day and night — a lunch break becomes a brief but essential escape, a chance to recharge for the rest of the day.
Once, during a night shift, Maqedonci needed a coffee to shake off his tiredness. After watching several taxi drivers queue up in front of him to take orders from the company’s base, he and a colleague decided to go to a nearby cafe. That coffee ended up costing them a lot.
“Someone reported us to the owner. We worked all night, and when we went to hand over the closing cash, he tore up the paperwork in front of us and said, ‘Today, you won’t get your daily wage,'” Maqedonci recalled. He and his colleagues gave the funds they collected throughout the day to the company and at the end of the month, the amount they received depended on that closing cash.
As he spoke, Gashi, his former colleague, jumped in, calling the coffee break a “luxury.” He mentioned that there were many times when they didn’t even have time to eat during working hours.
“With so many calls and requests, we couldn’t even get a piece of bread to eat,” he said.
With the passage of time and the forgetfulness that comes with it, the two former colleagues — now friends — decided to document the main problems they faced while working as taxi drivers. Their list is extensive. The lack of breaks was the least of their problems, even though the Labor Law guarantees them at least a 30-minute break during a full eight-hour shift.
Gashi and Maqedonci remember nights they worked shifts longer than 12 hours. The next day, they resumed their regular schedule. They noted that they did not receive extra compensation for working at night, even though the Labor Law mandates a higher payment of 30% per hour for night shifts. Similarly, work during public holidays should have earned them an additional 50% per hour.
“Our working hours ranged from nine to 10 hours during the day, and we had 12-hour shifts at night. Regardless of whether we worked during the day or night, on holidays or regular days, our pay remained the same,” Gashi said.
Burim, a current taxi driver who wishes to remain anonymous, often starts his mornings at Ulpiana’s buildings, just as Maqedonci and Gashi did years ago. This neighborhood has now, as a running joke among taxi drivers, been nicknamed “the place for wasting time.”
He’s now in his thirties and has worked for a private taxi company in Prishtina for five years. As a child, he dreamed of becoming a driver, but that youthful enthusiasm has faded.
“How can you love the job when you don’t leave the steering wheel for 15 hours?” he said.
Burim is a father of two. To maximize his salary at the end of the month, he chooses to work up to 15 hours and often works longer when needed.
“If the driver is capable and willing, they let you work for 20 hours. No one cares,” he said. “You work for 15 hours and the company likes you even more.”
Taxi drivers in Kosovo are typically paid a percentage, currently around 35%, of the fares they collect in a month. For example, if Burim collects 100 euros during his daily shift, he keeps 35 euros, while the company takes the remaining 65 euros. As a result, the more hours he works, the more he can earn from his share of the day’s total. Companies typically have tacit agreements with one another on what this percentage is.
Burim tries to work at night because he says there are fewer traffic jams and more passengers. According to him and other taxi drivers K2.0 spoke to, working an eight to nine-hour shift six days a week usually earns around 500 euros at month’s end. By working both day and night shifts, or 15 to 16 hours, drivers can increase their monthly income to about 1,000 euros. Although the higher salary helps, it only somewhat offsets the growing cost of living, which has increased noticeably in Kosovo in recent years.
However, any taxi driver faced with this choice must make sacrifices. Burim said he spends only two hours a day with his family.
“You can choose to work less, but your child needs food on the plate,” he said as he accepted his next trip. “I start work at 3 in the afternoon and often finish at 7 in the morning. I sleep until 11 a.m. and go back to work at 3 p.m. It’s not easy, but we’ve gotten used to it. The salary is better in the end.”
Burim drives for 16 hours a day. Despite his hope of avoiding traffic jams, he starts his shift during the most exhausting time to drive on Prishtina’s roads: between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., peak traffic times. He recognizes the risks of this schedule but says he has no other options. “500 euros aren’t even enough to cover the family’s needs,” he said.
The Law on Road Transport regulates driving time, allowing a maximum of nine hours of driving per day. It also permits driving for up to 10 hours, but no more than twice a week. After four and a half hours of driving, the law requires a 45-minute break.
Driving for long hours leads to exhaustion, impairing concentration and slowing reaction times in dangerous traffic situations, raising the risk of accidents.
Burim said he experiences fatigue and drowsiness daily. “We’ve gotten used to it. It all feels the same now,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Kosovo Police (KP) does not have data on how many accidents involved taxis throughout the year, as this information only appears in its unclassified annual report. The LI also does not provide statistics on accidents, but noted that long working hours were frequently found violations during inspections of taxi companies.
K2.0 sent detailed questions about each complaint raised by workers to 15 different taxi companies in Prishtina. Of these, only ETAXI responded.
Contacted companies
Taxi Roberti, Golden Taxi, Pink Taxi, Online Taxi, Blue Taxi, El Taxi, Taxi Dallas, Trip Taxi, Hej Taxi, Radio Taxi Asi, Radio Taxi Geti, Taxi Victory, ETAXI, Taxi Tesla, Urban Taxi
Another safety concern, in addition to long hours, is the pressure to arrive quickly and meet the time set by the company’s call center. Idriz, a 50-year-old taxi driver who requested anonymity, works for a private company in Prishtina. He noted that the workload increases significantly in the summer due to the influx of the diaspora and in the autumn and winter because of challenging weather conditions.
This also increases pressure on drivers from the managers and company owners to pick up as many passengers as possible. Before even reaching the Dardania neighborhood, where the passenger was headed, Idriz’s in-car device had already assigned him the next ride. Next, he needed to head to the other side of the city, to the Velania neighborhood.
Without complaining, Idriz immediately increased his speed. The passenger had been told that the car would be there in seven minutes.
“The call center tells the passenger ‘seven minutes’ — they don’t care if you have to fly, run a red light, or anything else,” said Idriz.
Unrealistic company expectations put drivers under extra pressure, increasing the risks they face on the job. According to Naim Bajraktari, an occupational safety and health expert who works with the company HSK, this treatment of workers violates the law and requires intervention from the LI.
“These pressures cause drivers to be careless while working and this carelessness can lead to accidents that cause both individual and collective damage,” said Bajraktari.
Idriz experiences such situations daily. He has worked for four different taxi companies in Prishtina and notes that conditions have been similar everywhere over his seven years behind the wheel.
“The worker faces oppression in every company,” he said. When he hears the word “law,” Idriz, rushing to his next destination, responds immediately, “What do you mean by ‘law’?”
Organizations that advocate for workers’ rights have called for stronger action from the LI to safeguard these rights, even as the LI hired 19 labor inspectors from 2022 to the end of 2023.
Workers, especially in the private sector, continue to face problems such as a lack of contracts and health insurance, working without protective equipment and workplace accidents due to insufficient supervision. As a result, many workers go unnoticed by government institutions and do not work in environments in which they can access their rights.
Pension contributions and halved salary on paper
Taxi drivers often sacrifice all their time and effort to ensure they have enough money at the end of the month to cover personal and family expenses. However, the irregular payment structure they are subject to presents additional challenges, especially when they want or need to make larger purchases that, like many in Kosovo, they cannot afford without a loan.
The taxi drivers K2.0 spoke to usually receive just a quarter of their actual monthly salary in a bank deposit. They receive the rest in cash.
As a result, companies required to register each employee with the Tax Administration of Kosovo and pay at least 5% in pension contributions end up paying less money, leaving workers with less in their pension accounts. Additionally, since only a portion of their salary is deposited into the bank, taxi drivers face challenges when applying for loans due to their reduced reported income.
Two years ago, Burim wanted to renovate his apartment. To cover expenses, he applied for a loan from a local bank in Kosovo. Although he knew his chances of loan approval were slim, he decided to try his luck since a friend worked at the bank.
Each month, only 250 euros appeared in his account as his salary, even though his actual earnings were nearly 1,000 euros. His contract reflected this discrepancy, stating that his monthly salary was 250 euros.
“Even my friend told me, ‘You have a higher salary than I do, but the bank only checks the salary stated in your contract for a loan,'” Burim said. “Most of us have contracts that renew every year, but they are only formal because everyone knows how salaries are paid.”
His loan application was rejected. Additionally, instead of paying about 50 euros in monthly pension contributions, the company where he works pays less than 20 euros due to how low the salary reported in his contract is.
Meanwhile, Idriz has no contract and receives his entire salary in cash, which he said is quite common, based on his experience in four different companies. This situation has intensified his fear of what awaits him when he retires in 15 years.
“I’m worried about old age; the trust pension is not paid … tomorrow … After tomorrow … The pension will be small. I don’t know how I will manage,” Idriz said, as he headed to pick up his next passenger.
Of the 15 companies contacted, only ETAXI responded, stating that it offers workers contracts, deposits their salaries into bank accounts and pays pension contributions as required. K2.0 spoke with ETAXI drivers who confirmed these practices.
In the last four years, the LI reported receiving only five complaints from taxi drivers. Each complaint led to a fine against the driver’s company. During inspections, the LI identified several key problems in private taxi companies, including the lack of work contracts, long working hours, insufficient access to annual leave and failure to compensate for overtime hours.
The measures the LI imposed included fines. According to the LI, companies must pay the fine within 30 days and submit a copy of the payment to the inspectors. However, the LI has not confirmed whether the companies cooperate consistently and pay the fines. Additionally, the LI lacks a database with statistics detailing how many regular inspections it has conducted in these companies and which measures were enforced.
Unlike Gashi and Maqedonci, who have pursued legal action, Idriz and Burim refrain from complaining for fear of losing their jobs. For Burim, the potential cost of filing a complaint is too high. “How can I dare to complain now? I might get fired and leave my children without food,” he said.
For Idriz, the prospect of filing a complaint is even more daunting, because he lacks a contract or any documentation that proves his employment.
Safe cars, uninsured drivers
The high speeds, long hours and lack of sleep from navigating traffic in all conditions expose taxi drivers to numerous risks. Among these, the most serious is the possibility of an accident.
To reduce the potential damages from accidents, taxi companies insure their cars with casualty and collision (CASCO) insurance — an annual payment made by the company that covers damages to the vehicle in the event of an accident.
According to the drivers K2.0 interviewed, the companies that own the cars do not cover the cost of CASCO insurance. Burim earns nearly 1,000 euros a month, but 50 euros are always deducted for CASCO. Based on conversations with his colleagues, he said this phenomenon is common across most private companies.
Since becoming a taxi driver five years ago, Burim has paid different amounts for car insurance. He now says the company withholds around 600 euros annually for insurance.
According to the taxi drivers quoted in this article and five others K2.0 spoke with, most private taxi companies require workers to cover the cost of CASCO insurance themselves, doing so in different ways.
For example, Idriz explained that drivers who share the same car — one working in the morning and the other in the afternoon — split the insurance costs.
“In our company, we pay around 20 euros each. So, the morning driver pays 20 euros and the afternoon shift driver pays another 20 euros. That’s 40 euros a month to insure the car for the company. I don’t know if this happens anywhere else in the world,” said Idriz.
Additionally, Idriz recalls an incident at one of the firms where they paid the company for car insurance, only to discover after an accident that the vehicle had no insurance coverage at all.
“A colleague had an accident and thought the car was insured with CASCO. Then I realized it did not have insurance at all,” he said.
Out of the 15 companies contacted, only ETAXI responded, stating that the company, not the workers, pays for CASCO insurance. Employees at ETAXI have confirmed this information.
While insurance often covers car repairs after an accident, the health of the workers is a completely different matter. All the drivers K2.0 spoke with said that the possibility of health insurance was never even discussed.
“If an accident happens, they care more about the car than the driver. They don’t even visit the injured in hospital,” Idriz said, recalling a colleague’s accident where the employee had to cover expenses himself. Although the employee’s injuries were minor, the company showed no interest in helping him financially, despite his effort to seek support.
“Health insurance is necessary because accidents happen and you can encounter all types of passengers. But we’ve never discussed it,” Burim said, acknowledging this phenomenon as more normal, since health insurance is not regulated by the state. He mentioned that there have been instances when passengers insulted him, left without paying and even threatened him.
According to Bajraktari, the occupational health and safety expert, the government is obliged to ensure that citizens have access to public health insurance. A law on health insurance was approved by the Kosovo Assembly back in 2014, but was never implemented. In August 2024, Kosovo’s government approved a new draft law on health insurance, which would replace the law passed in 2014. The draft law is expected to go to the Kosovo Assembly for approval. However, with upcoming general elections in February 2025 and broader implementation issues, the law’s future remains unclear.
Driving at night presents specific challenges for Idriz. At one point, he struggled with the headlights of oncoming cars. He also experienced insomnia a few months after starting work as a taxi driver, primarily due to his night shifts.
“I struggled to sleep at night as my body got used to working. Even on my days off, when I wanted to sleep as long as I could, it felt like I was still at work,” he said.
Maqedonci recalls facing similar issues during his time as a taxi driver. He had muscle pain and back problems from sitting for extended periods, among other health concerns.
“My body felt numb,” said Maqedonci.
Neither Idriz, nor his colleagues in the company, nor the taxi drivers interviewed by K2.0, undergo regular medical checkups. According to the Law on Safety and Health at Work, employers are required to send employees for medical examinations to determine their physical and mental fitness for specific roles. Employers must conduct these checks at least once a year and whenever necessary.
“Never, at all,” Burim replied briefly when asked about these examinations.
In contrast to recent times, Maqedonci and Gashi remember undergoing medical checks during their time as taxi drivers 10 years ago. However, the drivers did not receive regular checkups. According to Gashi, the workers had to pay for the checks themselves.
“Even when we had to do those, it only hurt us. We had to pay 15 or 20 euros out of our own pockets,” he said.
Valdet Hashani, head of the Main Center of Family Medicine in Prishtina, noted that in the last three years, no taxi drivers have shown interest in obtaining physical health certificates. Even though some companies require their workers to undergo regular psycho-physical checks, workers prefer to seek these services at private clinics. This is because, according to the Administrative Instruction for Primary Health Care, psychiatrists who conduct psychological assessments are not permitted in public primary health care.
“If taxi drivers want to obtain certificates, they go to places where occupational doctors and psychiatrists are available, mainly in private clinics,” said Hashani.
Bajraktari from HSK, an organization that monitors the implementation of laws related to workplace safety, emphasized that these medical checks are crucial for preventing traffic risks, not only for drivers but also for other road users.
A 10-year wait
From the parking lot between the tower block buildings in Ulpiana, Maqedonci and Gashi head to the cafe where they used to gather when they were taxi drivers. To reach the entrance, they walk through a dimly lit corridor, a fitting description of how they describe their time as taxi drivers — both during their employment and after being fired.
Upon entering, they are greeted warmly by the cafe owner.
“I’ve known the cafe owner since March 8, 2002, when I started working,” said Maqedonci, ordering a coffee. “We gather here, and if the lawyer tells us to gather some money, we split the amount and pay whatever is due — all together. Some colleagues have gone to Europe, but they still send money for each decision.”
According to former employees, the dismissal of around 20 taxi drivers a decade ago, in September 2014, stemmed from a workers’ protest a few months earlier.
Around mid-2014, Victory began telling its employees that the taxi drivers’ profit share would decrease from 30% to 27%. The company communicated these warnings mainly through conversations with drivers. A group of drivers found this unacceptable and decided to protest by boycotting work.
For several days, they stayed off the road during their usual working hours. The opposition from the drivers forced the company to reverse its decision to reduce the percentage.
However, what started as a protest by a group of taxi drivers against the reduction of their profit percentage ultimately led to those drivers’ dismissal. Two former employees said they were fired without being given a reason or any written documentation.
“The other workers who didn’t protest continued working. The worst part was that just a few days after we were let go, the company published a job vacancy in the newspaper for new drivers,” said Gashi.
In 2014, the LI ruled that the dismissal of this group of taxi drivers violated existing legislation. According to the LI’s ruling, Victory committed several violations, including failing to provide an explanation to the workers and neglecting legal procedures such as issuing warnings or taking other required measures. None of the other legal options were pursued before the company decided to dismiss the workers, which is considered a last resort. The LI did not provide K2.0 with any additional details about actions it took against Victory.
The Independent Trade Union of the Private Sector of Kosovo (BSPK) is aware of the case. However, BSPK Chairman Jusuf Azemi stated that the dismissed workers initially reported the issue to the Road Transportation Union, which was an incorrect step. By the time BSPK learned about the case, it was too late, as the LI had already taken action.
“Before approaching the inspectorate, the union should have intervened, because once the LI issues the report, the procedure is complete,” Azemi said.
Moreover, Azemi noted that the taxi drivers were not members of BSPK at that time, highlighting that the union isn’t present in all private companies due to the private sector’s size and the fact that not all workers are union members.
“We do not have the right to speak about a person who is not a member of the union,” Azemi said.
He added that some workers join BSPK independently, often without their employers’ knowledge. When these members file complaints, BSPK steps in to address the issues with the relevant company. According to Azemi, most companies cooperate, but if they don’t, BSPK escalates the case to the relevant state institutions.
Beyond BSPK, taxi drivers do not have their own union. According to the Law for Organizing Trade Union in Kosovo, forming a trade union requires the establishment of a trade union association that includes 10 or more workers from a specific institution or company, referred to by the law as a legal entity.
To create a union for taxi drivers, there must be at least two trade union associations. These associations must collectively represent at least 10% of employees at the sector level to register as a trade union with the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare.
According to statistics from the Municipality of Prishtina, 22 private taxi companies are currently licensed in the capital. The Directorate for Public Services in Prishtina lacks data on the number of workers. However, taxi drivers, who requested anonymity, report that each of the the largest taxi companies in the capital employ 200 or more workers.
Despite this, none of the taxi drivers interviewed by K2.0 have ever considered forming a union, mainly due to fear and a company culture that discourages criticism.
“It is important to consider that various industrial sectors have specific characteristics that a single umbrella trade union cannot effectively address,” said Visar Ymeri, director of the Musine Kokalari Institute. The institute is an independent organization dedicated to promoting social and democratic values while committing to progressive policies and focusing on trade union organization. He advocates for creating trade unions for each category of workers as the best way to protect their rights.
K2.0 reached out to the former owner of the Victory Company, but he declined to respond. Right after the LI’s decision that found violations in their dismissal, Maqedonci, Gashi and other former taxi drivers sued the company in the Basic Court of Prishtina in 2014.
10 years later, many things remain the same
Since then, around 20 former taxi drivers have waited for justice. Initially, all parties were heard, and an expert evaluation was conducted for financial compensation. However, the Basic Court dropped the lawsuit in April 2018 on the grounds that it was filed too late. This decision was based on the fact that the taxi drivers filed their lawsuit after the legal deadlines for initiating a claim had passed.
However, on September 18, 2020, the Court of Appeals returned the case for retrial after finding several violations in the initial ruling. This ruling confirmed that the first-instance court must decide on the lawsuit after addressing all the facts, including whether the statute of limitations has been reached, rather than focusing solely on procedural aspects.
Although the case was sent for retrial four years ago, the plaintiffs’ lawyer, Naim Haliti, reported that the court has only held two or three hearings. He argued that retrial cases should be prioritized.
Amid this delay in handling the case, Victory went bankrupt, introducing a new problem for the former workers. According to data from the Kosovo Business Registration Agency, Victory was dissolved in 2021, complicating the judicial process.
However, the old logo and Victory name still appear on some taxis in Prishtina. In 2021, the year Victory legally dissolved, another private taxi company that is still active announced a merger with Victory.
Haliti has requested a detailed specification of the lawsuit, targeting the company’s owner. Pursuing the owner individually remains a viable path to justice. Haliti stated that the owner of the deregistered business is responsible for all debts.
“An individual business is not a legal entity and therefore the owner of the deregistered business has unlimited liability for debts and other obligations,” said Haliti, referring to Article 48 of the Law on Business Organizations. This article holds that “A Person who is the owner of an Individual Business, shall have unlimited personal liability for all debts and other obligations incurred or imposed by Law or a contract, on the Individual Business.”
The Basic Court in Prishtina informed K2.0 that this case was inherited by a judge who subsequently moved to the Administrative Court. While the Basic Court has not explained the delays in handling the case, it said that the new judge has scheduled the next session. However, Maqedonci and Gashi say they have not yet received any call informing them of the new date.
The wait for a court decision has become exhausting for the former employees.
“We are simply asking the court to recognize that our rights have been violated. Whether the decision is positive or negative, we just want a resolution and to know what is happening. What kind of justice is this after 10 years?” Gashi said.
Alma Koljenoviq, a lawyer who primarily handles civil cases, explained that the shortage of judges and support staff causes delays in providing justice for cases like this. “In general, justice delayed is justice denied. The delay of court cases, like in this instance, risks preventing plaintiffs from ever securing their rights,” Koljenoviq said.
According to a report published by the Kosovo Law Institute (KLI) for 2022, it takes at least five years for a court to handle a civil case. This report highlights that delays in these cases lead to a failure to deliver timely justice, a fundamental principle of justice. Another KLI report reveals that over 112,000 civil cases remain pending in Kosovo’s courts. KLI attributes the backlog to the judges’ inefficiency, case administration and behavior of parties involved in the proceedings.
As they were getting ready to leave the cafe, several taxis drove by. Maqedonci and Gashi recognized some of the drivers, recalling both good and bad experiences with some of them who still work there today.
Over a decade after their dismissal, not much has changed. Idriz pointed out that, due to ongoing dissatisfaction, several workers at his company have chosen to quit.
However, this did not impress the management at all. Coincidently or not, the manager’s remarks to the workers in 2023 reflected those from 2014, which Gashi and Maqedonci quoted before. “‘If you want to stay, stay; if not, leave.’ They told him, ‘We will find new taxi drivers in the garbage bin,'” Idriz said.
Even as Gashi grows tired of waiting in that park, he will continue his fight. He sends a message to his colleagues who still work today, urging them not to be silent when “their work is belittled.”
That day, taxis lined Ulpiana’s streets. The chessboards were empty and dusk had fallen. The night shift drivers had taken their positions. Some picked up passengers while others leaned against their cars, waiting for the next call. In the meantime, Gashi and Maqedonci wait for their call too.
Lead editor: Aulonë Kadriu.
Feature Image: Visar Kadrolli / K2.0.
This article was published with the financial support of the European Union as part of the project “Diversifying voices in journalism.” Its contents are the sole responsibility of Kosovo 2.0 and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.