Intention to exclude re-equipped minibuses from circulation arouses divergences among transporters

A number of minibuses that circulate on the roads of the capital posted this week announcements of their going on “passive strike”. The head of the Private Transporters Association (PTA), Ion Mamaliga, announced about this at the beginning of the current week. At the same time, Gheorghe Rusu, who also declares himself as head of the transporters organization, asserts that the protest actions are postponed, since the transporters are waiting for a favorable decision of the Government. The divergences arisen at the Transporters Association took place on the waves of the Government’s intention to eliminate the re-equipped cars from the public transport in Chisinau. The two heads of PTA were involved in a trial after the dismissal of Ion Mamaliga from the position of head of the Association at the beginning of the current year. In his respect, Ion Mamaliga stated that the litigation is not over yet. Another court session will take place on 1 November at the Court of Appeal. Gheorghe Rusu asserts that Mamaliga lost more trials and that the new leadership of the PTA will sue him because Mamaliga continues to call himself the head of PTA. Until the lawsuit ends, Info-Prim Neo requested the opinion of both candidates for the position of head of PTA regarding the issue of minibuses. Ion Mamaliga, who supports the organization of the passive strike, said that it will last until authorities provide an adequate response. “Thus the minibus drivers want to inform the public about the authorities’ intention to exclude reequipped minibuses from the activity of transporting passengers”, Mamaliga asserts. Moreover, he claims he requested earlier a meeting with the Premier but received no answer till now. “If the authorities would have been reasonable, until 2010 the reequipped minibuses would be excluded from their activity anyway, on expiry of their 15-year term stipulated by the legislation for the passengers’ transportation”, the cited source says. Mamaliga mentions that thus a gap in the passenger public transport wouldn’t have been created, thousand of workplaces wouldn’t have been liquidated simultaneously and abuses towards the transporters wouldn’t have been committed. Thus, the state would have showed gratitude for those that invested in a public service”, added Mamaliga. The cited source asserts that only the Chisinau City Hall is interested in the settlement of the minibus owners’ issues. According to Mamaliga, who is also a municipal councilor, a work commission will be created as part of the City Hall to decide whether the cars can or cannot transport passengers further on. Therefore, he considers that the local authorities could assume responsibility for the further activity of the reequipped minibuses. He thinks also that the City Hall could explain the Government that the local budget has not financial means to replace the reequipped minibuses with other means of transport. Thus, not only the transporters will suffer but also the passangers. During his meetings with state authorities, Mamaliga has questioned if the local and central budgets have the possibility of purchasing sufficient units for supplying the deficiency caused by excluding the reequipped minibuses. According to him, though the austerity of the budget is well-known, the authorities assured that funds are available. The cited source assumes that it has been about lobby activities in favor of other economic agents. In case the authorities continue ignoring the transporters’ requests, they will organize meetings or protest marches, the cited source highlighted. Requested in these regards, Gheorghe Rusu said that the association waits for the modification of the Government’s decision, trusting that the authorities will respond positively to their request to amend the line 5 of the decision that entered in force on 8 August currently, through which the Government intends to exclude, within one year, the reequipped means of transport from the circulation. According to the decision, the minibuses made in 1991-92 are to be taken out of circulation by the end of this year, the other minibuses – by the end of next year. Both representatives of PTA agreed, for the future, not to offer activity licenses for the reequipped cars, and they can be replaced with vehicles corresponding to requirements later. In the context, Rusu mentioned that over 95% of the minibuses that operate in Chisinau municipality are “Mercedes”. Other car makes were eliminated gradually from the circulation, because only “Mercedes” cars have proved higher technical parameters, as well as economical efficiency. The transporters assert that, even reequipped, they do not present any danger for the passengers, being at the same time cheaper and easier to maintain. At the same time, an argument against the elimination of reequipped cars is also the fact that the national banking system does not offer credits for purchasing means of transport, and the transporters have not sufficient financial resources for new cars. Although the purchase of the Russian-made “Gazel” vehicles, which cost about 7-8 thousand EUR, would be a possibility for the transporters, they can not be compared with “Mercedes” reequipped cars, as they have much lower technical attributes, said Rusu. Over 55 % of about 2000 minibuses that have performed the technical overhaul this spring are reequipped minibuses at present.