The Employers Association of Road Transport Operators (APOTA) is asking Anatol Usatîi, the Minister of Economy and Infrastructure, to increase fares for passenger transportation or face a resumption of the operators’ strike at the week-end or at the beginning of next week, IPN reports.

APOTA said in a letter that a round of negotiations has been held, in three meetings, including with the participation of Anatol Usatîi, after which several measures have been identified to reduce the costs of the transport operators. The measures aim to exclude abusive inspections, transparency of the ministry and the National Agency of Road Transport, the fight against unauthorized transport, etc.

Following the meetings, a draft memorandum of understanding was drawn up, and signing it may determine transport operators to reduce the requirement regarding the fare increase from 0.92 lei per km to 0.74-0.76 lei per km. Transport operators say that the memorandum is not signed yet, so their requirement remains to increase the rate to 0.92 lei per km.

“The absence of a response or decision establishing the tariff will cause a new transport operators’ strike, this being the only legal way to protest against this treatment,” the operators say.

On October 9, the transport operators suspended 600 races, saying the strike was triggered by the refusal of the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure to increase the tariffs on national transport services. Back then, the executive said that passengers must be provided with decent travel conditions, minibuses and buses intended exclusively for passenger transport. Only after the passenger transport operators fulfil these conditions, will the government be willing to negotiate the fare increase.