Moldovan Haulers Prepare for Protests due to Crisis in the Industry

The Employers Association of Road Transport Operators (APOTA) reports problems in the transport sector and addresses an open letter to Prime Minister Dorin Recean. The petition notes that the road transport sector continues to deteriorate and if no measures are taken, carriers will be forced to resort to protests, ipn.md reports. APOTA claims that the methodology, according to which the tariff for regular transport should be set by the association, should have been applied from 1 June 2024, but has not yet been approved. The draft methodology has been finalized, but it contains indicators that do not correspond to reality, say association members, who point out that the lack of a methodology has serious ramifications for the industry. In its open letter to the Prime Minister, APOTA says that carriers are abandoning many regular routes, and in a number of localities there are no longer any operating regular services left. For several years, no investment has been made in the industry, transport units are operated until their operational capacity is exhausted, after which the routes are closed and the carrier ceases to operate, APOTA points out. Another issue is the legal obligations under the Road Transport Code regarding the installation of electronic e-GPS systems, tachographs and speed limiters. “Although resembling European methods, these commitments are contrary to EU law and even potentially violate fundamental rights,” the document said. Government representatives have not yet reacted in any way to the claims of the Employers Association of Road Transport Operators.