The transport operators that provide interurban routes are to submit vehicle inspection timetables by February 1. Afterward, the vehicles that transport passengers will be classified according to comfort categories in three stages, until October 1, IPN reports.

Minister of Economy and Infrastructure Anatolie Usatyi said the carriers that will not comply will be subject to inspections at the first stage, between February 1 and April 1.

Iulian Postică, secretary of state at the Ministry of Economy, said one third of the vehicles are to be classified by April 1. The next two stages will last until June 1 and, respectively, October 1.

Eighteen vehicle overhaul stations of the 100 stations working in Moldova have been authorized to classify the vehicles according to comfort categories. But the number of authorized stations will be raised. The National Road Transport Agency is having discussions with business entities that manage such stations.  

Oleg Alexa, chairman of the Board of the Road Transport Operators Employer Association, in the same news conference said half of the operators are ready to present timetables even today. The first one third of vehicles will be easily classified as these meet the requirements. The others experience technical problems. “Our estimates show a minimum of €2,000 will have to be invested to fix the problems when a vehicle will not meet the requirements,” stated Oleg Alexa.

According to the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure, there are over 500 transport carriers that operate interurban and district routes in Moldova. More than 6,500 buses and minibuses have been registered with the National Road Transport Agency.

The classification of units of transport according to comfort categories was one of the conditions imposed for increasing interurban route fares from January 1, 2020 – by 0.12 lei per km to 0.60 lei/km and by 0.22 lei per km to 0.70 lei/km for super-comfort categories..