Moldovan economics ministry's leadership says communication with carriers to continue

Chisinau, 10 January /MOLDPRES/ - The communication with the carriers will continue and the order on the increase in tariffs for the passengers transport will not be cancelled. We will regularly summon meetings, in order to know how the process of meeting the requirements of those 4,000 buses in the two categories of comfort advances. Economics and Infrastructure Minister Anatol Usatii has made statements to this effect in an interview on a web portal from Moldova’s capital.  

The official noted that the model of dialogue initiated by the authorities was the proper way of solving the problems in the transport sector. “We respect the people who work and invest in transport and we demanded that they respect the passengers. Based on these principles, the dialogue has advanced soundly and quickly. Thousands of drivers, more than ten thousand of people work in the transport industry. They are Moldovans. They are not on the other side of the barricade. If we want qualitative and safe transport services, we must give these people possibility to earn enough through their work. The lives of hundreds of thousands of people daily carried depend on their professionalism. And families are behind them: wives, children, parents,” Usatii noted.       

The economics minister specified that the issue of tariffs was a sensitive one and the ministry’s task was to create fit conditions for the passenger transport to be able to develop and meet the needs of the people all over the country. “It would be a good thing to understand that, if we failed to find a reasonable solution, hundreds of thousands of people would have remained without transport services,” the minister said.  

Starting from 1 January 2020, after more protests by carriers on the inter-urban routes, the Economics an Infrastructure Ministry ordered the increase in the tariffs for passengers. Thus, after the increase, in the case of the standard transport means, the tariffs is of 0.60 lei per one km and in the case of modern transport units, the tariff was increased by 0.22 lei and reached 0.70 lei per one km.   

As of 1 February 2020, the carriers will have to get certificates due to establish the vehicles’ comfort category. The certificates will be released directly by the National Motor Transport Agency, which will also have obligation to monitor the degree of meeting the conditions of the categories.   

The data unveiled by the Economics and Infrastructure Ministry’s leadership shows that a half of the buses involved in the passengers transport have more than 20 years and 300 transport units have more than 30 years, with the operating time exceeded.