TIRASPOL ASKS NEW MOLDOVAN AUTHORITIES TO RESUME RAILWAY TRAFFIC THROUGH TRANSNISTRIA
04.02.2010
Tiraspol. Tiraspol insists on resuming the railway traffic through Transnistria, the letter, sent by the administration of the Transnistrian Railroad Company (TRC) to new Minister of Transport and Roads Anatol Salaru, says.
TRC Director Serghei Martsinko said at news conference in Tiraspol that on the eve of expert consultations between Moldova and Transnistria on problems relating to the railway traffic, slated for February 11, Transnistria put forward concrete proposals.
In particular, the Transnistrian side proposes that he trains proceeding from Chisinau to Odessa, Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Minsk, Adler, Simferopol would cross Transnistria again. Tiraspol is ready to make concessions and to fulfill a number of conditions, moved by the previous Moldovan authorities for the resumption of the railway traffic through the region.
In particular, Transnistria promises to allow inspectors of the National Railroad Company of Moldova to accompany the diesel trains to Odessa, as Chisinau insisted that all these train must be accompanies by its inspectors.
The TMR proposes also to crate a special scheme for selling tickets at the Tiraspol and Bender railway stations, but the mutual settlement of payments must be based on a bilateral agreement.
“Transnistria is also ready to sign an international agreement on guarantees for the maintenance of the rolling stock”, Martsinko underlined.
He is sure that the decision on the resumption of the railway traffic, in particular, passenger trains) would solve many problems for the residents of Transnistria and Moldova and would allow concentrating efforts on other railway traffic problems.
The Transnistrian Railway Company was set up in August 2004 by means of the alienation of the Bender and the Rybnitsa terminals and the section of the Moldovan Railways crossing the region. To develop its own railway Tiraspol introduced a privileged taxation - 01% from the fixed rate on each income item provided the profit is used for the logistic equipment, re-equipment and personnel encouragement. At first 4.15 million rubles ($520 thousand) were allocated for purchasing the rolling stock. The only Transnistrian diesel locomotive was bought for these resources.
Tiraspol estimated the introduction of the new transit regime for Transnistrian cargoes on the basis of the Moldovan customs clearance on the Moldo-Ukrainian border on March 3 as the economic blockade of the region. In retaliation it blocked the pass of transit trains. After this the Moldovan Railways sent trains in the circumvent of the region. In August 2004 the law enforcement institutions the unrecognized Transnistrian Moldovan Republic misappropriated eight branch sections of the Moldovan Railways and a railway track passing through the region. The Transnistrian Railways enterprise was set up on their basis. From that time the Transnistrian authorities began demanding payment from the Moldovan Railways for the transit of trains and a registration fee from passengers. In March 2006 after the introduction of the new transit regime for Transnistrian cargoes on the basis of the Moldovan customs clearance on the Moldo-Ukrainian border Tiraspol estimated it as the economic blockade of the region. In retaliation it blocked the pass of transit trains. After this the Moldovan Railways sent trains in the circumvent of the region. As a result the Transnistrian Railways is virtually idle and the Transnistrian authorities do not rule out the sale of the Transnistrian Railways.
The terms, Moldova put forward in 2008 for the resumption of the railway traffic include the return of the rolling stock, Tiraspol retains, the sale of tickets for lei, admittance of Moldovan inspectors to the trains.
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