The Draft Code on railway transport, elaborated and submitted for public consultation by the country’s Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure, stipulates the elimination of state-owned Moldovan Railways’ monopole in the railway transport market. According to the draft law, the railway infrastructure will be state-owned, and the current company will be restructured into three companies. The proposed law will also allow private companies to deliver passenger and freight transport services in the Republic of Moldova.
The organisation and administration of the railway transport sector will be regulated in conformity with the principles of separation between railway infrastructure management activities and railway freight transport operations and railway passenger transport operations. The railway infrastructure will be state-owned, while traction and passenger and freight transport services could also be supplied by private operators. “CFM Pasageri” company will deliver railway passenger transport at national and international level, while “CFM Marfa” company will deliver railway freight transport at national and international level.
The Government must partially finance the maintenance and reconstruction of the railway infrastructure, set the level of passenger transport public service obligations and grant subsidies to railway passenger transport operators.
At the same time, the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure will be responsible for the elaboration and promotion of the legal framework of railway transport, the elaboration of the transport policy and strategy for railway transport development, as well as the monitoring and control of the application of the Code’s provisions.
The project also stipulates the establishment of two institutions, such as the Investigation Office, responsible with the examination of railway incidents and accidents and the Railway Agency, responsible with the authorisation of railway transport operators and of the infrastructure manager, the implementation of the railway legislation and delivery of the optimum level of railway transport safety.
The approval of the new railway transport Code is conditioned by the European Union Association Agreement.
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