The Transport and Road Workers Union intends to formally ask the Government to amend the Transport Code so as to allow passenger transport operators the freedom to fix their own fares on suburban and interurban routes.

Union president Vladimir Florea told IPN the request for higher fares formulated last year continues to be valid today amid rising costs and a tendency for passenger numbers to drop. The failure to adjust fares adequately and promptly results in losses for operators, making it impossible to invest in increased comfort and security. To improve the situation, Florea says the market needs to be liberalized.

Last August, passenger carriers unsuccessfully requested that tariffs on interurban routes be increased by a minimum 0.1 leu per kilometer. “All the promises made by the Government, in particular PM Pavel Filip and Economy Minister Chiril Gaburici, seem to have been forgotten. They said yes, but not now, and told us to wait until after elections”, said Florea, adding that the request for higher fares would be renewed as soon as the new Cabinet is invested.

Last time tariffs on interurban routes were increased in 2012, by 0.1 leu/km to an average 0.48 leu/km.