Tariffs for inter-district and regional transportation will be temporarily adjusted based on fuel prices
At a meeting on March 26, the government approved amendments to the Methodology for Calculating Tariffs for Regular Inter-District and Regional Passenger Transportation Services, allowing operators to more quickly adapt to market changes. The amendments introduce a temporary mechanism for weekly tariff adjustments in the event of significant fluctuations in fuel prices, which account for approximately 40-50% of transportation operators' total costs. In the event of significant fluctuations in fuel prices over the past 14 days (more than 20% compared to the previous period), the National Agency for Road Transport will be able to approve temporary tariffs for regular inter-district and regional passenger transportation. A similar mechanism was used from 2021 to 2023; during the state of emergency, temporary measures deviating from the standard methodology were permitted based on a decision by the Emergency Situations Commission. This allowed for rapid fare adjustments and the maintenance of public transport: temporary fares were set every Friday of the current week for the following week. This mechanism is expected to allow operators to maintain active routes, avoiding the reduction or suspension of services connecting towns and cities. According to a government decree, temporary fares will be reviewed every seven days in the event of significant fluctuations, and if fuel prices stabilize and fluctuations are less than 20%, the National Agency for Road Transport will cancel them. The government-approved decree will enter into force upon publication in the Official Monitor. The methodology adjustment occurred amid protests from passenger road transport operators across the country, who remained suspended due to rising diesel prices and the lack of a decision to increase fares. According to official data, in 2025, more than 113 million passengers (+7.9% compared to 2024) used regular road transport across a network of more than 2,000 routes. Last year, approximately 90% of passengers used urban and suburban transport, 8.2% used intercity travel, and 2% used international travel. Passenger turnover by buses and minibuses during the analyzed period amounted to 3.15 billion passenger-kilometers, an increase of 2.5% compared to 2024. // 26.03.2026 – InfoMarket.
