Transfer of Auto Terminals into private management may worsen situatio, opinion

The Government initiative to concede auto terminals to a private manager could worsen the already weak state of auto transports. This should be the Government’s last resort, in absence of all other methods to stimulate auto transports. These opinions were expressed on the “Sfatul Țării” show on 10TV, IPN reports.

Oleg Tofilat, international expert in public policy, believes the Government has rushed its decision to concede management of auto terminals. The decision hasn’t been announced in time for a society-wide discussion, and no explanation has been given for the Government’s desire to concede, the expert says. Oleg Tofilat believes this concession is a political move. In his opinion, auto transportation has larger priorities than the concession of auto terminals. The expert has referred to e-ticketing, liberalized access to auto transportation, the pricing system, coordinating relevant legislation, strengthening the administrative capacities of the National Auto Transports Agency. “Instead of those, we get this concession, which hasn’t even been discussed, hasn’t been prepared,” says Oleg Tofilat.

Economic expert Sergiu Gaibu believes an assessment should have been made, one that would have indicated the best approach to improving the state of bus terminals. According to him, in this case a very important step has been omitted – analysis. “Avoiding this part, including discussions with the civil society and expert communities, is a crucial mistake. One important element of democracy, which is constantly pointed out to Moldova by international entities, is to respect decision making transparency,” said Sergiu Gaibu. In the analyst’s opinion, the objectives of the concession move should have also been made public.

The Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure has submitted for public debates a Government decision that mentions the concession of management of the “Auto Stations and Terminals” state enterprise to a private business, including the right to operate passenger transfer routes, for a period of three years. The managing business, on the other hand, assumes the obligation, throughout the concession term, to invest in the modernization of the enterprise’s 30 branches. Estimated investment volume starts at 200 million lei, with return on investment projected over a period of 25 years.