The Romanian government adopted in its Tuesday meeting the emergency ordinance (OUG) regulating ridesharing services.

The document version discussed on Tuesday, June 25, provides that Uber, Bolt and Clever service operators must obtain the technical approval from the Ministry of Communications (MCSI) every year, according to Hotnews.ro. The annual fee they will pay to MCSI is RON 50,000.

The cars used for ridesharing also have to meet several conditions. For example, they must have a maximum of five seats, have a periodic technical inspection (ITP) carried out every 6 months, and not be older than 15 years. Also, the drivers must be at least 21 years of age and hold a certificate of training for passenger transport issued by the Romanian Road Authority - A.R.R. They also need a category B driving license that is at least two years old.

Moreover, the drivers must have a civilized behavior, they can’t refuse a ride under the conditions agreed initially and can’t ask the passenger to pay a different amount of money.

In traffic, the cars accepted on the ridesharing platform will have to display a round badge for each digital platform used. The car registration number and the platform’s name have to be written on these badges.

Drivers who violate the law of alternative transport risk fines of up to RON 5,000.

“Now the competition is free. The Romanians will decide the company they want to ride with in Bucharest, and not only. […] There is no discrimination whatsoever,” transport minister Razvan Cuc said.

This emergency ordinance should put an end to several years of conflicts between taxi operators and ridesharing apps, which culminated with ample protests by taxi drivers and an emergency ordinance that enforced stricter rules for taxi services and also made it possible for the police to sanction drivers providing transport services without a license, including those enrolled in the Uber, Bolt and Clever apps. The most recent protest of taxi drivers was staged last week in Bucharest.

newsroom@romania-insider.com

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