More than 9,300 persons renounced compensation payments over free monthly tickets in Chisinau's public transport. At the same time, more than 1,400 pensioners with incomes above 1,450 lei bought monthly tickets for half of the standard price, Info-Prim Neo reports. Chisinau Deputy Mayor Nistor Grozavu told the City Hall's meeting on Monday that 9,326 individuals with incomes under 1,450 lei have renounced compensation payments in preference to free monthly tickets. Now the number of recipients of compensatory payments is 52,394. Some of the persons who managed to receive compensations, tried to receive free monthly tickets as well, which made the municipal authorities suspend the distribution of monthly tickets to such persons. Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca insisted that, regardless of such cases, monthly tickets should still be doled out. “Those people resort to such tricks only because they are poor”, says Chirtoaca. According to him, the municipal authorities won't return to the practice of offering free travel passes. Before the reform in the public transport, some 85,000 persons had such passes. With the initiation of the reform, it will be seen who really needs the municipality's aid in traveling in public transport, said the mayor. The mayor also announced that a new regulation on public conveyance would be adopted by March 1. He insisted that its content should be posted in all the public transport units in the city. From 1 February 2010, pensioners and vulnerable persons may travel for free in the public transport on the basis of monthly tickets. The pensioners with incomes under the threshold of 1,450 lei may choose between the free monthly ticket and a compensation payment of 70 lei. The pensioners with incomes above this threshold, as well as pupils and students, may purchase monthly tickets for 70 lei, half of the standard price.