Transporters maintain their stand on reequipped minibuses

Minibus drivers did not resign themselves to the Government decision regarding the withdrawal of reequipped minibuses from passengers’ transportation, head of the Private Transporters’ Association Ion Mamaliga told Info-Prim Neo. According to Mamaliga, minibuses’ owners intend to come together and decide on organizing ample manifestations in the center of the capital against the authorities’ intention to dispose of reequipped minibuses made in 1991 and 1992 by the end of the year. Mamaliga mentioned that local authorities did not allow the minibuses made in these years to pass the overhaul in autumn, so they will be withdrawn from operation one month before the deadline, this is on December 1. It is also the deadline set by the authorities when the minibuses’ owners were to replace the reequipped cars with new ones. Most of them did not succeed in conveying new minibuses to the country. MP Dumitru Braghis submitted an interpellation to the Constitutional Court regarding the constitutionality of the Government decision on exclusion of reequipped minibuses. If the court does not rule in favor of them, transporters in Chisinau are decided to make an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. In October, minibuses’ owners had organized a protest for several hours bringing their cars to a standstill. They took a passive strike but to little avail. Minister of Transports and Road Administration, Miron Gagauz, stated that there is no reason for revising the Government decision, which was approved by all the specialized institutions. Gagauz asserts that the Urban Bus and Trolleybuses fleets have been renovated, thus elimination of reequipped minibuses will not create inconveniences to passengers. During the overhaul held in October, out of 1656 minibuses admitted for overhaul, 1380 minibuses were accepted to continue their activity of conveying passengers. About 2000 minibuses in all operate in Chisinau municipality.