Moldovan legislation on administration, use of public roads aligned with EU standards

The rules regulating vehicle traffic on public roads with regard to maximum permitted weights and dimensions will be adjusted to European standards. The parliament has adopted, in the second reading, a draft law concerning the administration and use of public roads.

The document, developed by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development, transposes relevant European directives into national legislation.

One of the main amendments introduces a single, uniform set of maximum limits for the weights and dimensions of vehicles allowed on public roads. As a result, operators will be able to plan routes and vehicle configurations based on clear and uniform rules, which will reduce the risk of differing interpretations during inspections and lower exposure to sanctions caused by regulatory ambiguities. Currently, the maximum permitted limits are set differently depending on the road category – rehabilitated, non-rehabilitated or gravel.

The draft law also introduces the concept of TEN-T European roads – roads that form part of the trans-European transport network. According to the explanatory note, in the context of European integration and the participation of Moldova in the development of European transport corridors, it is necessary to regulate this road category in national legislation and assign it a distinct index for identification within the national road classification system.

The draft law further includes clear provisions on the status of land within 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 roads’ modernization requires such measures.

The legislative amendments will enter into force on the date of their publication in the Official Journal, except for the ones concerning the maximum weights and dimensions of vehicles, which will take effect on the date of Moldova’s accession to the European Union.