The Agency for Public Property insists there is no legal ground to prevent the unilateral takeover of public bus stations from Gările Auto Moderne SRL. After the government decided to terminate the public-private partnership, the company took legal action.
The bid, however, was rejected by both the district and appellate courts, APP clarified.
“The private partner refused to cooperate voluntarily, leaving the authorities no choice but to initiate the unilateral takeover procedure”, the APP said in a statement.
The Agency recalled that the public-private partnership initiated in 2018 was terminated after it was found in 2022 that the leaseholder failed to fulfill its contractual obligations. “The private partner did not comply with the obligations assumed regarding the performance guarantees, which required guarantees of 5 million lei for each investment year, a guarantee that was not presented starting from the 3rd year of the contract, a fact that served as the basis for the termination of the contract”, the APP added.
The Agency declared that all the measures are taken in the best public interest and aim to restore a “legal administration” for the network of 30 bus stations across the country. “We understand the importance of this infrastructure for the people, and that is why a special commission was instructed to immediately initiate the transfer of the unique complex of bus stations under (government) administration. This decision aims to keep transport services up and running for the population, as any temporary disruptions will be resolved promptly”, the statement added.
Earlier today, APP officials appeared at the leaseholder’s headquarters in a bid to enforce the takeover decision. The company’s lawyers promptly filed a suspension action, citing procedural and transparency violations by the Agency.
