Traveling by public transport in Chisinau will be paid for through a transport card, bank card, or with the help of a phone. These are the solutions proposed by the concept of electronic taxation, developed within the project “MOVE IT like Lublin”, financed by the European Union and the Chisinau City Hall, reports IPN.
According to Mayor Ion Ceban, the municipality will have a unique electronic fare system for trolleybuses and buses. The municipality is considering several options for electronic payment, so that the system is accessible to all categories of passengers, regardless of age or the devices they own.
Among the options are the use of a rechargeable plastic transport card from an app or equipment installed in stations, as well as single-use tickets, available at vending machines. At the same time, cash payment will also be maintained, for those who do not use banking services or smartphones.
The concept was presented by international expert, Wilfried Grommen. The specialist explained that the technological part can be accomplished within a reasonable timeframe, however, the physical implementation requires time: the gradual equipping of hundreds of buses and trolleybuses with validators, the installation of necessary equipment, and the organization of sales points, without affecting public transportation circulation. Wilfried Grommen estimates that the full implementation of the system will take between one and two years.
Among the objectives of the system are the collection of comprehensive and verifiable data on the transport system’s revenues, the reduction of cash operations, and the creation of a unique tariffing instrument. The concept is expected to be finalized and presented in the Chisinau Municipal Council.
The idea of an electronic taxation system was initially launched in 2010, when the Chisinau City Hall announced that, at the latest by 2012, the capital’s residents will no longer have to buy tickets from the conductor and will pay the travel cost with an electronic card. On several occasions, the authorities have announced new deadlines. Last year, the municipality announced that from 2026 it intends to widely implement the electronic taxation system in public transport, by installing modern equipment in all buses and trolleybuses.
