Bus and minibus operators criticize the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development’s proposal providing that higher passenger transport fares will be introduced with the consent of councils of local public authorities. The proposal was put up for public consultations in January.
In a news conference at IPN, the chairman of the Board of the Employers Association of Road Transport Operators Oleg Alexa accused the Ministry of incompetence. In December, the Ministry presented particular calculations, while the January bill contains fully different calculations that do not take into account the taxes paid by carriers. “We pay taxes and they should be considered if we pay them,” he stated.
Oleg Alexa also said that a route cannot be served 365 days by one driver. The calculations didn’t take into account the fact that the drivers are offered 35 days of paid leave. As other employees, they have five workdays and two nonworking days a week. The calculations concerning diesel fuel prices, repair and service costs, paid taxes are also not feasible.
“The calculations are not real. Unreal figures were used and we will not accept to go to mayor’s offices as the mayors and the councilors will be placed between hammer and sickle,” stated the chairman of the Board of the Employers Association of Road Transport Operators.
Dinu Agrigoroae, Association member from Drochia, disapproved of the calculations concerning the bus station commission as the Ministry didn’t take into consideration the fact that in the case of district routes, the route starts from the bus station, while the route back begins in villages, where there is no bus station. The inter-district routes go from bus station to bus station. As to diesel fuel, the Ministry’s calculations indicate the price of 16 lei that is not real, especially because this price is expected to rise further.
Veaceslav Răilean, operator from Căușeni, noted that the calculated sum of 4,000 lei spent on overhaul a year is too small. The engine is repaired at a cost of about 20,000 lei. The turbocharger and clutch also cost thousands of lei. There are also maintenance costs, costs for changing tires, etc. The governments the past ten years ignored them and destroyed the Transport Ministry. The transport companies are now short of staff. The drivers go to work abroad for decent pays and only older persons remain in the country.
In November, the carriers protested in front of the Government Building, demanding to increase the tariff to 1.20 lei/km. Then, Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development Andrei Spînu said the operators’ demand to double the tariffs was unjustified. He noted that as long as the carriers do not invest in the modernization of units of transport, a rise in tariffs is out of the question. Later, the Ministry presented a proposal, saying transport operators will be able to set higher tariffs for road passenger transport services with the approval of the local public authorities.
