On Thursday, March 26, a large number of regular regional and interregional bus routes in the Republic of Moldova were suspended in protest against the inaction of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development (MIDR) and the National Agency for Road Transport (ANTA). Thousands of passengers were left stranded at bus stations or had to wait for ad-hoc transport.
At the Chisinau Central Bus Station, officials confirmed that roughly 80% of routes did not operate due to high fuel costs.
Oleg Alexa, head of the Employers’ Association of Road Transport Operators (APOTA), stated that the suspended routes were “very many,” with data collection still ongoing.
Oleg Tofilat, Executive Director of the Union of Road Workers and Transport Operators of the Republic of Moldova, explained that operating routes currently costs more than revenue generated, and that raising tariffs alone is not a sufficient solution.
Transport operators accuse MIDR and ANTA of failing to approve the base coefficient values for calculating tariffs, as required by the government decision from October 2025, instead using an “interim formula” not consulted with sector operators. APOTA warned that services will only resume after concrete solutions are implemented to cover costs, and some routes may never return if the situation continues unresolved.