The municipal authorities estimate the works to implement the electronic ticketing system in trolleybuses in Chisinau will start this year. Contacted by IPN, the head of the General Public Transport and Communications Division Vitalie Butucel said the draft specifications were remitted to the National Anticorruption Center for appraisal. The announcing of an international tender contest to choose the company that will implement the system in the municipality of Chisinau is the next stage.

Within 60 days of the launch of the tender contest, the submitted bids will be examined. When the contractor is selected, works will be performed to outfit the trolleybuses with the necessary equipment. The experience and costs will be the main criteria for choosing the operator. Vitalie Butucel noted that if need be, working visits will be paid to the company’s country to see how the concept is put into practice. This will enable to identify the difficulties in the implementation process and how efficient and functional such a system is.

In 2010, the Chisinau City Hall announced that in 2012 at the latest, the inhabitants of Chisinau will not have to buy tickets from the conductor as they will pay for trips with the help of an electronic card. The authorities repeatedly announced new deadlines, but the electronic ticketing system in the public transport in the capital city hasn’t been yet implemented.