Mayor: Drivers may have to pay tax to enter downtown Bucharest

Drivers who want to pass through the center of Bucharest may have to pay a car tax in the future, Bucharest mayor Gabriela Firea said yesterday. She didn’t mention the value of the tax, but said that the tax would be related to the standard of living in Bucharest. The mayor also didn’t say when the tax would be introduced. However, this will take place only after ordering a survey on this topic, Firea added, reports local Agerpres. The tax is necessary to protect the environment and historic buildings in the city center, but will be implemented only after the City Hall completes its other programs, namely the acquisition of new buses and the completion of park & ride parking facilities. This means that the tax will not be introduced any time soon as the implementation of other programs takes very long. An open tender procedure for the purchase of 400 buses is in progress, the mayor said on Tuesday, but this auction has been challenged. In mid-September Romania’s National Council for Solving Complaints suspended the auction organized by the Bucharest City Hall for acquiring 400 new buses after a company complained that the tender book did not ensure real competition. The municipality first suspended it in August due to an error in the Electronic Public Procurement System SEAP. The European bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is also willing to grant a EUR 100 million loan to Bucharest City hall for the purchase of another 200 Euro 6 busses, according to mayor Firea. The poor quality of public transport in Bucharest is one of the causes for the congested traffic and the air pollution in the city as people prefer using their personal cars. Bucharest mayor wants environment tax for cars in the capital editor@romania-insider.com