Passenger carriers protest in centre of Moldovan capital

Chisinau, 9 October /MOLDPRES/ - More drivers of mini-busses and busses today protested in the centre of Moldova’s capital. They demanded the adjusting of tariffs, invoking that they bear big losses. On the other hand, the government said that it is against the increase in tariffs for transport and filed a string of conditions to the companies.   

Most drivers came at the wheel of their mini-busses and busses, which daily carry passengers on inter-urban routes. In these conditions, more routes were suspended today.  

The head of the Employers’ Association of Motor Transport Operators, Oleg Alexa, has said that the small tariffs did not allow carriers renew the transport units, the age of which is 23 years, on average. “We are close to a catastrophe. They did not hear us last time. We will stop all routes; much more of us will be at protests. We will not give up, unless they increase the tariffs,” Alexa noted. He also said that the carriers so far had not gone out for protests, as they were afraid not to be arrested, “as there was another governance.” The carriers said they would be willing to accept a gradual increase in tariffs.        

After a today’s cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Maia Sandu said that the Economics and Infrastructure Ministry had conveyed a set of conditions to the carriers, which the latter are to fulfill. “The minister discussed with the carriers; he conveyed to them the government’s expectations, including the improvement of the transport means. I also have a question to the carriers: I wonder why I have not seen them protesting so far. I did not see them protesting when the oligarchic regime was forbidding them to work on certain days, when protests were organized in Chisinau; I did not see them to demand the increase of tariffs through protests. We have a problem; we are a poor country; people have low incomes and the approval of increases is not made just as somebody think,” Maia Sandu said.  

A press release issued by the Economics and Infrastructure Ministry on 8 October reads that the carriers’ demand to adjust the tariffs could be analyzed only after they provide civilized conditions of travel for passengers.

The tariff for the passenger transport has not been adjusted since 2013. At present, carriers demand an increase in the tariff from 0.48 to 0.92 lei for one kilometre.