Chisinau trolleybus company saves 60,000 lei in punching machine experiment

The pilot project to install ticket-punching machines in Chisinau's trolleybuses has been rather successful. Gheorghe Morgoci, the director of the Chisinau Trolleybus Company, has told Info-Prim Neo that the amount saved in just one month in a few trolleybuses with such machines constituted 60,000 lei, including 10,000 lei in fines. “The passengers tried to profit from the absence of a conductor, but they got caught”, Morgoci explained. The machines were installed on 20 trolleybuses on routes 3, 7and 20. The passengers buy tickets from the driver and then validate them with the punching machine. “We will continue the experiment and modernize it by implementing a new system using plastic cards and automated ticket validating machines, called validators. We have already developed a tender book and will soon invite bids to select a company that will install this system”, said Gheorghe Morgoci. The pilot project is implemented with EBRD support and will continue until December. Prior to the project the three trolleybus routes were serviced by around 40 conductors.