The Moldovan minibus transporters traveling abroad will have to secure licenses to work. The Transport Ministry vows to continue checkups to prevent illicit passenger carrying, as the police are going to fine them despite recent protests.

The authorities’ drive is back by the legal transporters, who say all the passenger carriers must hold licenses and pay taxes. 

The Ministry warns no re-tuned minibuses will be allowed in international traffic, as the licenses holders must become legal entities and use vehicles with more than 9 passenger seats.

"The small transporters must set up firms, because they reach the retirement age and then complain the Government is bad because it does not pay pensions to them. But they don’t contribute!" said a representative of a large international transport company.

"The Transports Code is valid, the Government has started to cooperate with them, but they are unhappy. These illegal transporters steal our passengers. They get tired of driving. Who is to pay damages for their accidents?" asked the representative of a transporting firm. 

The transport authorities have discovered 440 cases of illicit passenger transporting this year. There are about 300 authorized transporting companies in Moldova.