Voted by parliament: legislation on administration, use of public roads to be aligned with EU standards in Moldova

The regulations governing the movement of vehicles on public roads in relation to the maximum permitted masses and dimensions will be adjusted to European standards. The parliament today voted, in the first reading, a draft law on the administration and use of public roads.

The document was presented by the Secretary of State at the Infrastructure and Regional Development Ministry Nicolai Mindra. The official stressed that the draft would help enhance road traffic safety and protect roads’ infrastructure.

“The document establishes clear, uniform and predictable rules for the benefit of carriers and authorities, facilitates the movement of goods both nationally and internationally and, at the same time, supports the transition to cleaner and more sustainable transport,” said Nicolai Mindra.

One of the main amendments provides for the introduction of a single set of maximum limits for the masses and dimensions of vehicles allowed on public roads. Thus, operators will be able to plan routes and vehicles’ configurations based on clear and uniform rules, which will reduce the risk of different interpretations during inspections and will diminish exposure to sanctions caused by regulatory ambiguities. At present, the maximum permitted limits are set differently, depending on the road category – rehabilitated, non‑rehabilitated or paved.

The draft also introduces the concept of TEN‑T European roads – roads that are part of the trans‑European transport network. According to the explanatory note, in the context of the European integration process and Moldova’s participation in the development of European transport corridors, it is necessary to regulate this category of roads in national legislation and assign them a distinct index, in order to identify them in the national road classification system.

The draft law also includes clear provisions on the regime of land in the road area and on the management of access roads to public roads. The public road administrator will be able to intervene to demolish or modify access roads that are built without authorization or in situations where road’s modernization requires such measures.

The draft law will be submitted to parliament for examination in the second reading. After adoption, the legislative amendments will enter into force on the date of publication in the Official Journal, except for those relating to the maximum masses and dimensions of vehicles, which will enter into force on the date of Moldova’s accession to the European Union.