Local authorities say transportation tariff on no.131 route is illegal

Sources from the Public Transport General Department of Chisinau municipality claim that the drivers of the minibus route no. 131, circulating on the itinerary Chisinau – Vadul lui Voda, charge illegally their passengers 7 lei per travel. The Department head Veaceslav Tarna announced that, according to the decision of the Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC) on tax increase in public transport starting August 1, the ticket price in the maxi-taxis circulating in the suburbs is composed of the urban tax of 3 lei, plus 0.15 lei per kilometer till the suburban locality. Thus, the minibus ticket price to Vadul lui Voda cannot be higher than 5.5 lei. According to Tarna, the administrator of this minibus route was demanded to comply with the CMC decision, otherwise law-enforcement bodies will have to handle it. Few days ago, the mayor of Vadul lui Voda town, Iurie Onofriiciuc, announced that the drivers of the minibus no. 131 charge a 1.6 lei higher tariff than the one set by CMC. The mayor asked for the municipality’s support in order to reduce the ticket price. The mayor mentioned that the illegal increase of the price ticket affects especially the inhabitants of the town Vadul lui Voda, on the ground that 40% of those 5,000 inhabitants of the town study or work in Chisinau. The administrator of the maxi-taxi no.131, Alexandra Dimitrov, stated these days that the tariff was increased proportionally with the cost of the ticket price in the public transport of the capital. Dimitrov also said that she would lower the transportation fares only if fair calculations are presented.