Almost 3,500 neutral-design license plates were issued for motor vehicles registered in the Transnistrian region since the vehicle registration sections were opened in Tiraspol municipality and Rybnitsa town in the autumn of 2018 and until the middle of this February.

In a response to IPN News Agency, the Public Services Agency said that it does not possess data about the total number of motor vehicles registered on the left side of the Nistru as there is no exchange of information between the competent authorities of Moldova and those of the Transnistrian region.

The Agency noted that the neutral-design license plates are issued based on electronic appointment scheduling that is made according to the database of the Transnistrian side and that cannot be influenced by representatives of the Agency. However, not in all the cases the applicants go to take the asked for neutral-design license plates.

The costs for registering a motor vehicle with neutral-design license plate consist of the following: 400 lei is the price of the registration certificate, 400 lei is charged for identifying the vehicle (those imported after April 24, 2018) and a charge paid for technical overhaul. This service is provided by a company based in the Transnistrian region.

Currently, 20-25 motor vehicles are registered daily in Tiraspol and 5-7 vehicles in Rybnitsa. The Public Services Agency said it received no applications or complaints about possible impediments and difficulties faced by owners of vehicles with neutral-design license plates in international traffic. Additionally, for participation in international traffic, the owners of vehicles with such plates are obliged to know the road traffic legislation of the given state, to have valid registration documents and driver’s licenses.

As of September 1, 2018, the owners of motor vehicles residing in the Transnistrian region can ask for neutral-design license plates from the Moldovan authorities for taking part in international road traffic. Following agreements reached in the negotiation process between Chisinau and Tiraspol, two vehicle registration sections were opened in Transnistria, in the towns of Tiraspol and Rybnitsa.