Road passenger transport, stopped countrywide after 7 October, if things are not settled (COTAR)

Road passenger transport will be stopped in the entire country after the 6 and 7 October referendum and there will be protests at the Gov't seat in case the amendments on road transport are adopted in the current form, the Confederation of Licensed Romanian Operators and Hauliers (COTAR) president Vasile Stefanescu told AGERPRES on Wednesday. 

He also specified that the competent authorities can establish whether the organisation he represents, the Confederation of Licensed Romanian Operators and Hauliers (COTAR), hold the monopoly Transport Minister Lucian Sova has been talking about. 

"I understand Mr Minister Sova insisted on the fact that we have a monopoly. What is a monopoly if there are competent authorities who can establish whether it has to do with monopoly, whether the fact that companies complying with the set of terms and conditions and the score signed up and won means monopoly, then he needs to notify the state's competent bodies. At the same time, this new transport programme is supposedly set up for the Romanian hauliers as well, so we must have the necessary time to procure these new buses. Otherwise, we cannot do it. Nobody will manufacture for us, in 4-5 months 1,000 = 1,500 buses. Therefore, in order to participate and win this tender we must have new buses. We hold nothing against this, but allow us the necessary time. Or let us talk about it," Stefanescu said. 

Asked what will happen if in the two days of scheduled protest the authorities will not comply with the demands of the hauliers, the COTAR official specified that road passenger transport throughout the country will be blocked. 

As regards the protests announced by the hauliers, Transport Minister Lucian Sova stated on Tuesday that 325 companies have been carrying out the regular passenger transport for over 15 years and in case regulations in the field remain the same another authorised company that is not part of the 325 will not be able to conduct such an activity.