Bolea Proposes Road Links Between Villages and Better Public Transport

Bolea at the CALM meeting: we need roads and transport

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Vladimir Bolea took part today in an extended meeting of the Board of Directors of the Congress of Local Authorities (CALM). At this meeting, he discussed with the mayors the reform of local government, continued investment in infrastructure and the development of public services in municipalities currently undergoing amalgamation.

Vladimir Bolea

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In his speech, the minister emphasised that administrative and territorial reorganisation must be accompanied by investment to ensure connections between villages and with urban centres, so that people have easier access to education, healthcare and public transport.

“There are no large or small villages, nor are there more or less important Moldovans. They are all ours, and we must care for them all equally. Financial resources for the construction of local roads must be directed towards connecting settlements,” said Vladimir Bolea.

In this context, the minister spoke of the ministry’s intention to develop a pilot project on road links between settlements. The concept envisages road connections between villages and the commune’s administrative centre, and from there to the nearest town. The proposal will be discussed and developed in collaboration with local authorities.

Another topic raised was the development of public transport in the new administrative-territorial units. The minister noted that the amalgamation of settlements must be accompanied by measures to improve mobility, including regular routes enabling villagers to reach schools, healthcare facilities and other services in town centres. In this regard, the Ministry plans to begin work on these solutions in 2026, with a view to implementing them in 2027–2028 in collaboration with mayors.

Speaking about investment in infrastructure, Vladimir Bolea confirmed the three priorities established in dialogue with local authorities and included in the Growth Plan: water supply, the development of sewerage systems and the modernisation of local roads.

What has been done, what will be done

The Minister noted that, as part of the ‘Europe is Close’ programme, contracts had been signed for 353 road infrastructure projects, and 175 roads had already been brought into service. At the same time, he drew attention to the need to rethink the management and maintenance of the road network, including in the context of the reorganisation of districts, to ensure the sustainability of investments.

As for the ‘European Village’ programme, the Minister gave assurances that projects currently underway would continue. He reported that, following the budget adjustment, payment of the accumulated arrears for work already carried out is scheduled to begin next week.

In conclusion, Vladimir Bolea called on mayors to continue dialogue and cooperation with central government bodies, emphasising that the reform should be viewed from the perspective of benefits for citizens and the balanced development of local communities.

The CALM meeting brought together representatives of local authorities from across the country, with the agenda covering administrative and territorial reform, fiscal policy for 2027 and salaries within local authorities.

This story was translated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.The translation was also reviewed by the Logos Press editorial team.

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