Drivers heading with excessive speed might remain without licences in Moldova

Chisinau, 30 May /MOLDPRES/ – The issues of road safety and measures to be undertaken further have been discussed today during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister, Pavel Filip, the government's communication and protocol department has reported.

"We have managed to endorse the anti – alcohol package in 2018. Following its implementation, the number of drunk driving drivers has decreased by 22 per cent in the first three months of 2019, or 243 drunk drivers less than in the same period of 2018," said Pavel Filip.

Also, the factor of excessive speed remains a major problem and one of the main causes of road accidents. So as to make drivers respect the speed regime, the Prime Minister has proposed that drivers driving at excessive speeds should be withdrawn of their driving licence, as it is the situation in more European states. Thus, the drivers heading in localities with over 100 km/h, and on national roads over 140 km/h will be deprived of the driving licence for 03 – 06 months.

Among other issues, there have been highlighted poor quality of studies in driving schools, complicated procedures and high costs for obtaining driving licences. The PM has called for the licencing procedures to be simplified. "It is not normal for citizens to queue for hours. When there are lines, it occurs corruption. I do not want to simplify the licence, I want to simplify the procedures of its release. The more complicated are procedures, the bigger is corruption," said Pavel Filip.

In order to ensure better quality of studies for future drivers, it is proposed that the driving schools with a low rate of passing the driving licence exams should remain without accreditation. It also mentions the need to digitise all processes in order to obtain a driving licence.

After discussions, the PM has ordered setting of a working group of officials from the State Chancellery (CS), Electronic Governance Agency (AGE), Public Services Agency (ASP), Ministry of Education, Culture and Research (MECC), Ministry of Healthcare, Labour and Social Protection (MSMPS) and Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI), which has to elaborate and submit for approval the draft amendment and completion of normative framework so as to include the recommendations and solutions proposed at the meeting.