Car owners with foreign number plates on the streets again, protesting Chisinau, Cahul, Giurgiulesti, Sculeni and Balti
Once again they came out to protest. Dozens of owners of cars with foreign number plates protested in the capital against changes to the Customs Code. Today similar actions took place in Cahul, Giurgiulesti, Sculeni and Balti. People are asking for the cancellation of amendments allowing them to keep their cars in the country for up to six months. The authorities previously explained that the amendments to the Customs Code were aimed at bringing customs in line with European Union legislation.
Car owners with foreign number plates are unhappy about the amendments to the Customs Code, which allow cars registered in other countries to remain in Moldova for no more than 180 days, compared with three years for those with foreign driving licences.
"Let them cancel this 180-day law. People are unhappy about it, because a lot of people have businesses, they have cars, their personal car that they drive around in every day," says Constantin Perciun, a car owner.
"I, for example, if I have dual citizenship and I commute, for example, between Chisinau and Iasi, if I have 180 days for 7-8 months, after three, four months I can't enter the country. What were they thinking when they adopted these restrictions? It's nonsense!" explains Cristian Nicolai, car owner.
"Petitions to the former government have been written, a petition has been submitted to Maia Sandu to be heard. We have no answer. We want freedom of movement for all citizens", car owner Alexandru Baranov says.
Still, the protesters insist on amending the Customs Code.
"Nobody listens to us. We hope that the new government will draft another petition. We have fellows in Cahul, Ungheni, Giurgiulesti, Leuseni. One day we block all customs and roads, we have no other way out, otherwise we have to leave the country", said Viorel Gritco, protest organiser.
The head of the Customs Destinations section, Valeriu Cozarev, previously told Moldova 1 that cars with foreign licence plates that came into the country by December 31, 2022 will be allowed to stay in Moldova until the expiry of three years, according to the old law.
Customs Service data show that there are more than 190 000 means of transport with foreign registration plates in the Republic of Moldova, of which almost 170 000 have an expired period of stay.
