Transporters protested in Victoria Square with some 3,000 vehicles against auto liability insurance hikes. No written agreement reached with the Gov’t

Transporters have staged a wide protest against the increase of the auto liability insurance (RCA) tariffs in front of the government building, in Victoria Square. The protest concluded at 15.00h.

The protesters requested to talk with PM Dacian Ciolos, who on Thursday attended the European Council. However, the talks with the government representatives were expected to start by 11.00h.

A delegation was been invited to talks with Deputy Prime Minister Vasile Dancu, ASF representatives and with the Minister for Social Dialogue, and submitted the requests from the demonstrators for RCA tariff’s decrease. The government representatives said they would seek solutions to reduce RCA, digi24.ro reports.

Two people who attended the negotiations with the Deputy PM and the ASF representatives told the protesters: “They showed openness but did not want to sign anything. Dancu said he will not sign anything until the PM returns. I’m very disappointed, my feeling is that nothing changes in this country.”

Protesters in Victoriei Square held banners reading “The pay RCA, we pay the mafia,” “Auto-services go bankrupt, ASF is incompetent”, “Misu Negriţoiu, the criminal who destroyed the insurances in Romania”, “Negriţoiu, do not forget, the DNA will contact you” and chanted “resignation, resignation, Negriţoiu’s resignation”, “What’s the premier doing in Brussels?” and “Mr. Prime Minister, wake up.”

The Vice-president of the Federation of Romanian Transport Operators (FORT) Mihai Viorel Ghisa said that transporters pay exorbitant amounts and receive nothing in return.

“We’ll do our RCA insurance in another country, we’ll get registered in another country. It’s unacceptable to increase the RCA by 400%, and next year it will get even more expensive. Where do we go? We give 20 percent to the RCA and 24 percent we pay the VAT. How can we repair the cars, what money are we to bring at home? We want the abolition of ASF, because I do not consider it is doing its job. We were asked to pay money for roads, the vignette means money for roads, and the over-excise means money for roads. Where are these roads? We pay exorbitant amounts and we have nothing, we have no highways. It is unacceptable,” said Mihai Ghişa.

Road traffic was restricted on Thursday, starting at 5.00h, on Kiseleff St., from Victory Square to Piata Presei, for the transporters’ protest, which was attended by some 3,000 vehicles, although according to the City Hall they were allowed to bring to the protest some 7,000 vehicles.

Bucharest City Hall announces that, following discussions between the mayor, prefect and the associations of transporters, the conditions of the protest were negotiated for Thursday in Victoria Square, settling the maximum of vehicles from 6,000 to 7,000 (as compared to 10,000 as initially requested by the protesters), while the participants have an obligation to be within the set perimeter for the demonstration.

Photo: hotnews.ro