The small international passenger and parcel carriers intend to mount protests next week. They are dissatisfied with the checks to which they are subject by the National Auto Transport Agency and the Customs Service and with the inaction of the Ministry of Transport and Road Infrastructure, which does not propose amendments to the legislation so as to enable them to work legally, IPN reports.
Small carrier Iurie Tesa told a news conference that the carriers are almost daily subject to checks by the National Auto Transport Agency and the Customs Service, being fined and deprived of license plates. “We witnessed cases when the customs officers, in concert with representatives of the Agency, entered the vehicles and threatened directly the passengers,” he stated.
According to Iurie Tesa, the legislation in the field does not regulate the activity of small carriers, which submitted a petition to the Ministry of Transport, whereby they asked to initiate the amendment of the legislation so that they are able to work legally. While the petition was under examination, the checks were to be suspended, but they weren’t.
In reaction to the statements made in the news conference, the Customs Service issued a press release saying the taken inspection measures didn’t cover the parcels with things for personal use, but only the goods in commercial quantities camouflaged in these parcels. Such a business seriously affects the state budget and encourages unfair competition.
The small carriers are private individuals who transport up to eight passengers by their own cars. In Moldova, there are over 1,000 such carriers. The protests were scheduled for October 25 and will start in the Telecentru quarter of Chisinau.
