A mayor apologising to his own citizens is not a common scene in Macedonia. Maksim Dimitrievski did it in Kumanovo, at the handover of five new municipal vehicles: "I want to apologise in my own name and on behalf of the director of the public utility company for the irregular collection of waste in the city, to all citizens, especially in the suburban settlements, because of the frequent breakdowns and technical problems with the vehicles we have at our disposal."

He expects the waste collection problem to be resolved by the end of the year. The apology was direct and unqualified - something the people of Kumanovo had been waiting for longer than the breakdowns lasted.

What exactly arrived

The vehicles were handed over by transport minister Aleksandar Nikoloski: two multifunctional hygiene maintenance vehicles, one tanker truck that will allow street washing and the delivery of non-potable water during supply cuts, and two street sweepers. Nikoloski pointed out that after Skopje, Kumanovo is getting the most vehicles because it is the largest municipality in the country by territory.

The five vehicles are part of a procurement of 49 municipal vehicles in total, carried out by the transport ministry with World Bank support and distributed across Skopje, Kumanovo, Tetovo, Prilep, Strumica, Štip, Ohrid, Negotino, Kičevo, Debar and Veles. According to the ministry, they were bought with saved funds.

Nikoloski also listed the figures for municipal support: around 242 million denars in the first call and around 328 million in the second, plus around one million euros through the transport ministry's budget for a bridge, the reconstruction of the town chapel and local streets. He also announced electric buses for Kumanovo in the coming period.

Where the donation ends and the system begins

Dimitrievski says the public utility company has been facing financial problems for decades. That is where the catch in this whole story sits. Five vehicles solve a delay. They do not solve why a utility company in the country's largest municipality by territory has spent decades without the capacity to renew itself.

The municipality is also announcing a new public call to select a private partner to organise public transport on more than 28 lines in the city. That is a second system that needs outside intervention to function.

The rubbish in Kumanovo will probably be collected more regularly this winter. The question is what happens when these five vehicles reach the end of their life - whether by then the company will be able to replace them itself, or whether the mayor will be standing in the square apologising again.