New tariffs in public transport to come into effect on August 1

Starting August 1, Chisinau citizens will pay MDL 1 for a trolleybus ticket, MDL 2 – for bus ticket and MDL 3 – for maxi-taxi, as result of the Tuesday voting of the Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC). The Municipal Transport Enterprises shall calculate the new prices for season tickets. The tariffs for suburbs transportation are the same. The Public Transportation and Communications General Department proposed the tariff of 1.5 for trolleybus and 2 MDL for bus. Department’s head Veaceslav Tarna said during the meeting that the cost of a trolleybus ticket amounts to MDL 1.57, and the bus ticket –4.12 MDL. As result of one-hour debate, the councilors set the tariff for trolleybus ticket up to MDL 1. The head of the Electric Transport Department, Victor Martaniuc, noted that this tariff is not sufficient to cover the enterprise’s expenses, which already pays penalties for electric power, and the budgetary resources allocated for 2006 were spent. The interim mayor of the capital, Vasile Ursu, made an appeal to the councilors’ responsibility, asking them to vote the proposed tariff of 1.5 MDL, noting that, if not, the number of trolleybuses circulating at the moment in the capital might be reduced due to huge expenses. At his turn, councilor Oleg Cernei mentioned that political discussions could have been avoided, if the tariffs were calculated according to the methodology approved recently by CMC. The head of the Urban Bus Fleet, Anatol Gheorghita, announced that he is satisfied only partly with the decision, highlighting that the tariffs for suburbs were not increased. According to Gheorghita, 70% of the routes managed by the enterprise are suburban. Municipal councilors also reqested the Transportation Department, to present until 1 September the new circulation scheme of the public transportation, therefore the maxi-taxis would not circulate on the same routes with trolleybuses and buses. The taxes paid by private transporters into the municipal budget for this activity also might be increased. The last tariff increase for public transportation of the capital was approved by the Chisinau Municipal Council in December 2001.