Eight minibus routes in capital risk being canceled due to small number of passengers

Chisinau, 13 August /MOLDPRES/- About 800 minibuses in the capital were withdrawn from routes over the past three years, and the activity of eight other routes is likely to be stopped due to the small number of passengers. The head of the Public Transport and Communications Department of Chisinau city hall, Vitalie Butucel, made the statement today.

Over the last four years, 10 minibus routes have been canceled, which had similar routes to trolleybuses and buses.

“We must be prepared in advance if the minibus routes are suspended, to see how we can replace them with high capacity transport. Actions must be taken in operatively to avoid discomfort to travelers," acting mayor of Chisinau Ruslan Codreanu said.

According to local authorities, another problem would be the lack of qualified drivers.

According to data by the Public Transport and Communication Department, there are currently over 1,000 minibuses running on 51 routes. In 2014, the number of minibuses reached about 1,800, and by 2008 there were 2,000 transport units, which run on 65 routes in Chisinau.

(Reporter A. Ciobanu, editor A. Răileanu)