Order to increase tariffs for transport of passengers remains in force - Moldovan economics ministry says

Chisinau, 10 January /MOLDPRES/- Minister of Economy and Infrastructure Anatol Usatîi announced that the orders providing for the increase of the tariffs for the transport of passengers and the classification of the cars involved in this activity in two categories of comfort will not be canceled.

Anatol Usatîi said that negotiations with the carriers will continue to be public. "Now the first steps are taken to move to a sustainable transport service. Without these actions we cannot talk about improving services and about renewing the transport fleet. The services cost ”, he said.

He noted that by February 1, the carriers must present the checklist of minibuses and buses on the inter-regional and district routes. "All operators must comply with the regulation, all buses and minibuses must pass the tests and receive comfort categories," added Usatîi.

The chart of the verification of the transport units on the inter-regional and district routes is divided into three parts: by 1 April, one third of the transport units will be checked, until 1 June - 2 thirds of these units and the process will end on 1 October.

18 technical inspection stations are authorized which will offer certificates out of the 10 existing ones. The certificates will be issued directly by ANTA, which will have the obligation to monitor the degree of classification.

The carriers say that the decision to increase the tariffs is a delayed one, and this has led to the degradation of the car park. They noted that last summer the former executive negotiated with them, but did not make this public. The owners of transport companies say that these increases are insufficient and the investments they have to make in order to fit the cars in the two categories are big. They say that many cars that carry passengers in rural areas are reused and need to be changed.

From 1 January 2020, after several protests of carriers on the intercity routes, the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure has ordered the increase of the tariff for the trips. Thus, after the increase, in the case of standard means of transport, the tariff is 0.60 lei per kilometer, and in the case of modern transport units, the tariff was increased by 0.22 lei and reaches 0.70 lei per kilometer.