The New Year underlined an older problem existing in the municipality of Chisinau: shortage of parking places. It becomes more accentuated primarily during the holidays, when the inhabitants and guests of the capital city visit relatives and friends. The cars abandoned in yards of apartment buildings exacerbate the shortage of parking places. Asked by IPN to comment on the situation, press officer of the National Public Security Inspectorate Ana Chiselița said the abandoned vehicles and their towing away are within the remit of the district head’s office.

Usually, such cars have one or several tires deflated or a broken window. The deputy head of Ciocana district Vlad Hîncu said a Government decision of 2018 regulates the transportation of such vehicles. They are towed away in two cases: if the driver is banned from driving after being caught driving while inebriated, for example, or if the parked unit of transport can generate an imminent danger to the public interest.

So far, the district head’s office hasn’t towed away abandoned cars as they do not have a special place where such vehicles can be taken. Furthermore, the legislation does not describe what “abandoned car” means. Such cars can have the tires deflated or a window broken, but they could have also involved in a road accident and left there for a month. However, this year they will focus on towing away and on the removal of metal parking barriers from public parking places, said Vlad Hîncu.

In a post on Facebook, mayor general of Chisinau Ion Ceban asked that the drivers should not illegally park their cars on green areas as they spread mud all over the city. “I call on the police to fine the drivers who violate the rules this way,” said the mayor, noting the people in Chisinau park their vehicles where they want, disobeying the law, while in other European capitals something like this is not allowed.