The project Skopje has been hearing about for years finally gets a date. Mayor Orce Gjorgjievski announced that bus rapid transit (BRT) is entering the delivery phase, after finalizing the last coordinations with the EBRD team. After years of plans, models and announcements, the BRT appears to be moving from paper to the street.

The City promises the project won't be delivered at the expense of the existing boulevard greenery - on the contrary, it announces new green areas. The BRT is presented only as part of a broader vision: a city train, the procurement of 100 new buses through the Government, and optimization of the bus network. On paper - modern, faster, more eco-friendly public transport for the capital.

The promise sounds good, but Skopje has a long memory for projects that "enter the delivery phase" and stay there for years. How many times have we heard about modern public transport, about a metro, about rapid lines - only for the citizen to end up waiting again for a bus that's late in 38-degree heat? The BRT isn't a new project; it drags on across mayoral terms. That's why the skepticism isn't cynicism, but experience.

The finalized coordinations with the EBRD are a positive signal - an international bank doesn't sign easily. But the real test isn't the press conference, it's the first line that runs and the first passenger who gets to work faster. Until then, the BRT remains a promise. Skopje doesn't need another nice announcement - it needs a bus that arrives on time. When we see that, then we'll celebrate.