The authors of the initiative propose to eliminate a number of concepts that are considered outdated in order to bring the legal framework in line with the Education Code and, above all, with EU directives. Industry experts warn: the reform is formulated too vaguely and may destroy the current system without offering anything sustainable in return.
At issue is the exclusion of such basic concepts as “professional certification certificate”, “driving instructor”, “road safety instructor” and “road transport training institution”. Lawmakers claim that this will eliminate contradictions between regulations, but industry representatives say there is a complete lack of predictability in terms of who and how future drivers will be trained.
The risk of a regulatory vacuum
Vyacheslav Nichik, chairman of the Association of the Union of Driving Schools and Training Centers, stresses that excluding these terms without a clear alternative would create a legal vacuum:
“We haven’t understood what is being proposed…. It is very vague. For me personally, given my considerable practical experience in driver training, the very idea of initiating such a project to exclude these provisions remains incomprehensible.”
Statistics of “failures“
In response, the authorities cite statistics that they believe point to a deep crisis in the quality of training. MP Dorian Istratii, one of the authors of the bill, claims that the persistence of “inconsistency in the law and duplication of documents” is due to “interests.”
The data he cited seem to pass judgment on the system: in a number of Chisinau branches of driving schools, the passing rate rarely exceeds 30%. Thus, in the branch on Mircea cel Batryn this indicator is 23%, on Maria Dregan – 22%, in the branch on Kievskaya – 20%, and on Zadnipru – 22%.
“These figures show that the quality of training in driving schools leaves much to be desired. People pay money, and a lot of money, for this training, but when they get to the exam, 70-80% fail the test. What quality are we talking about, if we have such results?”, – Istratii wondered.
“Interests” vs. “hidden exclusion”
“I understand that there are interests, but these interests will not pass through the Moldovan Parliament. Because we have to put order in education, in vocational training and in all our normative acts, so that driving schools become schools of quality. Those that do not ensure quality have nothing to do in the system,” the MP also said.
The MPs speak about “interests”, while the lawyer Alexandru Baldescu speaks about the “hidden exclusion” of provisions related to the regulation of driving schools and road safety”. He argues that this area cannot be regulated through the Education Code, as it does not cover road safety and the specifics of driving.
While the government generally conceptually supported the draft in its opinion, even it suggested that the relevant articles should not be repealed. Instead, it is recommended that they be reworded and redrafted.
Discussions in the plenum will clarify key disagreements: why the PAS faction insists on removing basic concepts from the law, effectively rendering them “inoperative”, and why the driver training system opposes these changes.
The shockingcost oftheissue
Behind the terminology, however, hides the main issue – the safety of citizens. Angela Kutasevich, a deputy from the Alternativa bloc, presented statistics that she called shocking: since independence, Moldova has had more than 83,000 road accidents, in which 12,700 people have died – this is comparable to the population of an entire city.
In addition, the number of violations is growing: in 2025, more than 11 thousand cases of driving without a driver’s license or with a suspended license were registered.
“My call is to consolidate this sector and make it truly strong. We have a duty to raise the standards of training – both initial and periodic – and to raise the bar on the quality of teaching. This is the only way we can guarantee safety on the roads and save lives,” Kutasevich summarized.
