Since road traffic in Chisinau has been monitored by surveillance cameras, a number of taxi drivers remained without the driver’s license. The head of the Taxi Passenger and Baggage Carriers Employers Sergiu Dodon, in a news conference at IPN, said they hold negotiations with the authorities and the law enforcement bodies so that the economic penalties imposed on taxi drivers who violate traffic rules are toughened up, while the administrative ones are reduced.

Sergiu Dodon stated that an ordinary driver travels several dozen kilometers a day, while the taxi drivers – several hundred kilometers. Thus, a taxi driver during a day can violate as many rules as other drivers in a month and thus collect more penalty points and risk remaining without the driver’s license. The taxi drivers who break the rules must be penalized harsher, but penalty points should be imposed on them only for serious violations. About 60 taxi drivers have been deprived of the driver’s license so far.

The head of the Taxi Passenger and Baggage Carriers Employers said the Government decided to institute penalties for illegal passenger transportation services and urged the taxi drivers and companies to legalize their business. Over the last four years, the number of taxi drivers who worked illegally fell by over 60%. There are now about 400 taxi driver who work illegally.

Sergiu Dodon is convinced that when the number of taxi drivers working illegally is reduced, the taxi fares will also decrease.