About 140 minibuses running on routes No. 113, 109, 191, 169 and 163 will not work on August 16 either, chairman of the Private Carriers Association Ion Mamaliga announced after the administrators of the given routes had a meeting with representatives of the Chisinau City Hall in the evening of August 15, which was the first strike day.

Contacted by IPN, Ion Mamaliga said the five minibus routes will remain suspended until the mayor general of Chisinau annuls the order to extend the itinerary of minibus route No.178. The route administrators met with representatives of the General Public Transport and Communications Division, but haven’t reached a consensus. The administrators proposed a number of itineraries for route No. 178 so that it does not intersect with the five minibus routes, but they weren’t accepted.

According to Ion Mamaliga, the itinerary of minibus route No. 178 overlaps 70-80% with the itinerary of routes No. 113, 109, 191, 169 and 163. This will lead to a rise in the number of accidents on the route. Mamaliga said the municipality took the decision to extend the itinerary of route No. 178 with the aim of causing conflict.

The chairman of the Private Carriers Association also said that the blame for the lack of units of transport is borne by officials of the City Hall as they are obliged to provide the passengers with transport. The minibuses will resume running only after the itinerary of route No.178 is modified.

Acting head of the General Transport and Communications Division Igor Gamretski didn’t answer the phone to comment on the situation.  

On August 15, all the minibuses running on route No. 191 in Chisinau stopped work in protest at the municipality’s decision to extend the itinerary of route No. 178. Representatives of the Division said earlier that the administrator of this route suspended work illegally and faces a fine.