Fare rates for bus and minibus services must be reviewed, says Minister of Economy and Infrastructure Vadim Brînzan. He told a press conference that the current fare rates have been artificially kept at the 2013 level, and this has prevented carriers from investing in newer and therefore safer vehicles.
Minister Brînzan noted that many things have changed since 2013, such as fuel prices and the strength of the leu. The minister assured that vulnerable groups will be protected if fares are increased.
Brînzan says that the Transportation Code also needs to be changed. He argued that it was designed to accommodate the interests of small-scale carriers. “This system is absolutely obscure and difficult to understand. A system flooded with a very large number of small operators on the market”.
The Union of Carriers and Roadworkers has repeatedly petitioned the Government to allow operators the freedom to set fares autonomously.
Last August, operators requested an increase in intercity fare rates of at least 0.1 leu per kilometer. Last time rates were increased by 0.1 leu/km in 2012. At present, the average rate is 0.48 leu/km.
