Stefan cel Mare si Sfant Blvd in Chisinau was blocked for several hours on June 2 by drivers dissatisfied with the increase in the price ceilings of fuels. Even if the National Agency for Energy Regulation suspended the decision by which the price ceilings were raised, hundreds of automobilists took to the streets to demand that the fuel prices should be decreased, IPN reports.

The drivers protested first in the Great National Assembly Square, parking their cars in two lines. They honked for several minutes uninterruptedly and then travelled along the streets of Chisinau in a march also honking. When returning, they blocked traffic in central Chisinau. Owing to the protest, trolleybuses hadn’t run on the main artery of the capital city for several hours. Those that didn’t get stuck in traffic were directed to adjoining streets.

The drivers expressed their dissatisfaction with the fact that the price ceilings in Moldova are changed once in two weeks. They said the salaries of Moldovans are very low against the prices on the market and this leads to the impoverishing of the population. The experts attending the protest said the rise in price ceiling affect first of all the farmers.

The motorists agreed to offer the authorities time to set real fuel price ceilings until June 4. If this does not happen, they will mount again protests.

The price ceilings of fuels have been on the rise for several weeks. On May 29, the National Agency for Energy Regulation set a price of 19.79 lei per liter of gasoline “95” and of 17.75 lei per liter of diesel fuel. Following a request made by Prime Minister Pavel Filip and the dissatisfaction that appeared in society, the Agency on June 1 suspended its May 29 decision, restoring the price ceilings approved two weeks ago