Chisinau to phase out onboard transit conductors by 2027
Chisinau municipal authorities approved a framework on Tuesday to introduce electronic ticketing across public transit, launching a €7.5 million modernization drive that will phase out over 1,100 onboard conductors.
The Chisinau Municipal Council backed the long-delayed reform following 16 years of stalled pilot programs. Under the unified system, passengers will pay fares by tapping bank cards, smartphones, or dedicated smartcards against digital validators installed across buses and trolleybuses.
Transition timeline and workforce redeployment
Eliminating onboard ticket sellers will take between six months and one year once technical rollout begins, according to Dorin Ciornîi, interim head of the General Directorate for Urban Mobility. Around 1,100 workers currently collect cash fares across the municipal transport network.
“The municipality accounted for this and will not permit layoffs,” said Ciornîi. “These workers will be offered alternative vacancies within municipal enterprises. There are plenty of openings.”
Authorities plan to expand the ticket inspection force, reassigning a significant portion of current conductors to fare enforcement roles during the transition. Cash payments will also remain temporarily available through drivers and designated kiosks to accommodate passengers without digital banking access.
Budget allocation and operational upgrades
The municipal budget has allocated 50 million Moldovan lei (€2.6 million) to launch the project in 2026. The full rollout will span roughly three years, with total capital expenditures estimated at €7.5 million (approx. 145 million MDL).
Municipal officials project that automated fare collection will curb evasions and boost transit revenue by approximately 15 percent. Ciornîi noted that passenger fares are not expected to increase in the immediate term, while all installed hardware and operational data will remain public municipal property.
The electronic ticketing initiative was designed under the European Union-backed “MOVE IT like Lublin” partnership and forms a central pillar of the Chisinau Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan 2030.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
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