Rutiera strike heads into third day

Lengthy heated debates on Thursday between the municipal authorities and the drivers and administrators of routed minibuses, colloquially known as rutieras or marshrutkas, produced no immediate result and the latter side decided to extend their strike action into Friday. Ion Mamaliga, the president of the Private Carriers Association, has told Info-Prim Neo that multiple drivers that he talked to on late Thursday evening confirmed that they intended to continue the strike on Friday and maybe stage another protest rally outside the City Hall. During negotiations with the municipal authorities, the drivers and administrators reiterated their complaint that they were working at a loss, lamenting the rise in fuel prices, the high costs of repair and maintenance, and the harsh fines for carrying passengers in standing room. Chisinau Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca, in turn, urged drivers to respect traffic rules. He noted that only the City Council can decide on a fare rise, but before this is considered, they should demonstrate that they observe all the rules. At the same time, the Mayor told the drivers that the municipal authorities are considering increasing the number of large-capacity vehicles in the public transit system and leave rutieras circulate only on secondary streets. The rutiera drivers have been on a strike since Wednesday in an attempt to persuade the Municipality into rising the fare from 3 lei to 5 lei.