Protests are the single solution to overcome crisis - capital maxi-taxi owners

Private transporters from Chisinau municipality reiterate the idea of organizing protest actions, as ultimate solution to their crisis condition. The head of the Private Transporters’ Association, Gheorge Rusu, expressed his regret that transporters of the republic have „at least the smallest chance” to obtain increases of transportation tariffs from the government, while maxi-taxi owners from the capital „are at populism’s beck and call” of those 51 municipal councilors, especially of those of the Communist faction who reject the decision drafts on tariff adjustment every time. According to Rusu, it is for the fourth time already, when the Municipal Council has rejected the proposals to increase the public transport tariff, including for maxi-taxi transportation in Chisinau. There are almost six years since the public transport tariffs haven’t been increased in Chisinau municipality, this being the single activity sector of the republic where the tariffs did not registered increases for such a long time, Rusu mentioned. Rusu underlined that, as lack of certain real solutions to the created situation, the transporters are forced to take into consideration the possibility to organize protest actions. „It is an acceptable solution, at least given the fact that the transporters of the republic got their tariffs increased only after they have announced the country’s leadership about organizing a preventive strike of 12 hours.” „The international practice shows that the tax paid by a passenger has to allow purchasing of a liter of fuel, while here with these 2 lei we buy only 200 milliliters of fuel,” he mentioned. Because of this, Rusu said, the maxi-taxi drivers are forced „to overcrowd” in rush hours the transportation vehicles. This spring, about 1912 maxi-taxis, circulating on the roads of Chisinau municipality, passed the overhauling. Even if this number is constant compared with the last years, starting 1 April 2006, about 40 maxi-taxis gave up the right to provide passenger transport services and other 60 are prepared to do the same thing. Gheorghe Rusu noted that maxi-taxi owners do not have any profit form the provided services and work until the first expensive reparation. According to him, „even if the drivers get something, owners’ collections get to zero, or they register losses in order to make these reparations”. The Private Transporters’ Association represents the interests of maxi-taxi owners of Chisinau municipality and is member of the Transporters and Road Workers Union.