RTEC head – economy regime imposed to urban transportation does not have to affect the passengers

The interim mayor of the capital, Vasile Ursu, insists on decreasing the number of buses and trolleybuses circulating at the moment on Chisinau’s streets. According to Ursu’s arguments, presented during the mayoralty’s working meeting on Monday, August 7, the public transport units circulate with 5-6 passengers, resulting in huge uncovered expenses. In Ursu’s opinion, „nothing will happen if the passengers will wait extra 15-20 de minutes in the stations”. He paid the attention of the head of the Urban Bus Fleet, Anatol Gheorghita, and the head of Chisinau Electric Transport (RTEC), Victor Martaniuc, that they might loose their jobs if the urban transport stops due to lack of money for their maintaining. As retort, Victor Martaniuc said that the priority task of the local authority is not to decrease the number of transport units, but to ensure the appropriate conditions for passengers’ transportation. Martaniuc notes that RTEC has executed already the order of Ursu by ceasing the activity of 56 trolleybuses of those 270 existent, but this can be taken further due to passenger respect. „We cannot follow orders blindly, we cannot abusively take off the units of the road, as we have to think about the population and to ensure good quality services to passengers,” Victor Martaniuc mentioned. RTEC head notes that excepting rush hours, the number of units is reduced from 226 to 206-210 in order to avoid financial losses. According to him, the department’s specialists have drafted the routes and the circulation schedule in order not to affect the population. More than this, Martaniuc was concerned about his staff, highlighting that drivers leave their jobs because of low salaries. RTEC head also underscored that this year only 84 million lei were allocated to the department, by 10 million less than in the same period of 2005. Given the fact the wage fund is of 18 million lei, the value added tax - 8 million lei, not even the income of 10 million lei planned as result of the tariff increase in public transport will not make the situation of RTEC easier, Martaniuc said, being concerned that the lack of resources might affect winter preparations. According to him, for purchasing winter tires alone about 4 million lei are needed. Vasile Ursu retorted that transporters have to earn resources on their own, and stop counting on the municipal budget. Moreover, as the mayor put it, a part of incomes gets into the conductors’ pockets.