Police recommend passengers dissatisfied with behavior of minibus drivers to call route administrators
Any minibus passenger who considers that his right to a safe trip is violated can file complaints to the route administrator, the head of the Ministry of the Interior’s Traffic Police Division Gheorghe Botnariuc told Info-Prim Neo’s reporter when asked what the dissatisfied travelers should do when the drivers smoke, speak on the cell phone or are speeding. “Steps will be taken if the people lodge more complaints,” the Colonel said.
The telephone numbers of the route administrators are posted in every minibus. Asked to pronounce on the same subject, the head of the Chisinau Public Transport and Communications Division Veaceslav Tarna said the drivers who break the regulations are punished. “The Division examines the complaints about the driver’s rude comments and inappropriate clothing, music, mobile phone, and smoking in concert with the route administrator and driver,” he said.
If the regulations are not observed, the General Public Transport and Communications Division withdraws the carrier’s license allowing to provide passenger transportation services. If two violations are identified on the same route, the contract signed by the Chisinau City Hall and the route administrator is terminated, Veaceslav Tarna said.
The passengers have different opinions about the minibus drivers’ behavior. Many people told Info-Prim Neo that the drivers often do not hear when they ask them to stop because they talk on the phone or listen to loud music. Some of the smoking drivers answer rudely when they are told not to smoke. Other passengers say the criticism leveled at the drivers is exaggerated as when the radio is on in the minibus the trip is more comfortable, while the smoke goes out as the windows are open.