Briefs from the Transport Ministry

 

Meeting with representatives of transportation school groups

The Partnership Protocol recently closed between the Transport Ministry and the Education Ministry occasioned the first meeting with the representatives of 37 preparatory schools in the field of transportation.
At the meeting that took place on November 1st, this year there attended Miss Anca Boiagiu, Minister of Transportation, Mr. Gheorghe Dobre, General Secretary of the Ministry of Transportation, Mr. Gheorghe Stancu, Director of Human Resources with the Ministry of Transportation, and Mr. Stancu Cristian Mirescu, Director of Human Resources Department with the Ministry for Education.
On this occasion, the problems that many of the schools in transportation field confront with nowadays, were analyzed, as for example, the ancient material basis and the insufficient funds allocated for maintenance and investments. Other two problems that were on the agenda represent the lack of partnership between schools and economic agents, on a local level and the necessity of adapting the school programs to the demands of the technical needs.
It has been discussed that, it is necessary to establish for the future meetings, a thematic based on activity fields, under a common graphic plan of the Ministry of Transportation and the Ministry for Education. This collaboration aims at searching for new financing resources, in order to modernize the material equipment in the schools of transportation, and at forming groups of specialists, which will contribute to the development and improvement of such school programs.

Concentration of ferryboats in the Turkish railway network

On November 23, this year, Freight Railway Department inaugurated a new railway that will make the connection of the ferryboats in the property of the Romanian Transport Company to the Turkish railway network (TCDD). The railway has as terminus point Derenice Harbor, located at 90 km from the Turkish Capital, Istanbul. This project of the Freight Railway Department will insure the fluidity of the railway traffic; it has also another purpose - that of the increase of commercial trade between Romanian and Turkey and the other countries from the Middle East. In the same time, it will improve ferryboat traffic performed by the Romanian Company.
Derenice area is well-known as an important industrial zone of Turkey, and the project of the Freight Railway Company creates the premises of some new commercial relationships, offering also a new alternative in transportation for the merchandises that circulate within this area (chemical products in liquid sate, old iron, fuel oil) and that demand, because of their nature, a transportation in specific conditions, unapplied yet in Derenice Harbor.
By constructing this new railway, the wagons could be easily and efficiently embarked and debark, due to a regular program of the ferryboats, that will increase the number of cruises per month and will reduce the costs for transportation by water (the tariff of the Romanian ferryboats), as a consequence of the short stationing time of the ships in Derenice Harbor.
In the opinion of Mr. George Buruiana, Director of the Freight Railway Company, all the advantages generated by the construction of such railway “prove once again that multi-modular transportation manifests a permanent preoccupation toward its alienation to the demands of the current economy.”

Supplementation of Public Trains

Railway Public Department made public that during the winter holidays it will make available two supplementary pairs of accelerated trains on routes Bucharest-Brasov and detour (starting with18.11.2000) and Bucharest-Tecuci and detour (starting with 17.11.2000).
On route Bucharest-Brasov, the accelerated train no. 12.637 will leave from Gara de Nord (North Station) at 6.38 AM and will arrive in Brasov at 9.26 AM. It will stop in Pliesti Vest, Sinaia, Busteni, Azuga and Predeal and will be in traffic on Saturday and Sunday, on Christmas Eve and during all the legal holiday time.
On the route Brasov-Bucharest, the accelrated train no. 12.638 will leave from Brasov at 15.40 PM and will arrive in Bucharest at 18.30 PM. It will stop in the above-mentioned stations and will be on traffic during the same period.
On route Bucharest-Tecuci, the accelerated train no. 12.667 will leave Bucharest at 17,33 PM and will arrive in Tecuci at 20.45 PM. It will be on traffic only on Friday and Sunday and will stop in Ploiesti sud, Mizil, Buuzau, Ramnicu Sarat and Focsani.
From Tecuci to Bucharest, the accelerated train no. 12.668 will be on traffic, that will leave Tecuci at 15.45 PM and will arrive in Bucharest at 18.50 PM.

Non-stop Telephonic Line for Travellers

National Public Railway Company SA created from November 6, 2000 a direct telephonic line on the railway where travellers can address their complaints and suggestions.
Such telephonic line could be dialled at numbers: 3317-for telephones existing within CFR’s network and at 6384241-through Romtelecom network.
This is how our railway Company comes to support in an operative way the demands of its clients, in order to prevent all possible unpleasant events on railway, The company took this measure in order to improve the quality of the services it offers to its clients.

Modernisation of Campina-Comarnic highway

Modernisation of Campina-Comarnic highway (23 km) belonging to the 1NW (DN) is a part of the program for rehabilitation of the auto-routs in Romania, in its second stage; 699 km have already been modernised. Works on route Campina -Comarnic are realized by the Austrian firm ILBA and included the rehabilitation of the current structure of the way, enlargement of the carriage-road from two to four lanes, consolidation of the landing area, and bridges. The total aggregate of these works is of ROL 153 billions, whereas the financing was insured by European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
The total aggregate of the entire program is approximately of US $ 530 billions, such disbursement being completed by several institutions: BIRD, BERD, BEI, the Romanian Government, and PHARE Program. Brasov-Sighisoara- Targu Mures-Cluj route was also rehabilitated, route that makes the connection between Transilvania and Muntenia, realising thus, a transportation way at European standards.
Project completion date of the works for Campina-Comarnic highway was November 12, 2000, event attended also by the Minister of Transportation, Miss anac Boiagiu. On this occasion, our Minister declared that this project will insure the economic and tourism development of the area and that in order to prevent the degradation and to insure protection on this route, traffic control patrols for the heavy traffic will be spread in the area, especially now that the winter is close.

Guide for Establishing Routes in the Internal Traffic Network

Starting with November 15, this year, the Guide for Establishing Routes in the Internal Traffic Network is now available for the drivers and authorized transporters for freight and persons. This guide was completed on the initiative of the Romanian Traffic Authority (ARR), in collaboration with the National Administration of Roads (AND) and Romanian Automobile Club (ACR).
The guide contains the chart of the entire road network in Romania, specifying the distances in Km and is a very useful instrument, especially when blocking or interrupting the traffic on certain national roads, for certain workings or because of unexpected events. One can use it when choosing the optimal route from the point of view of the distance, but also from the point of view of the infrastructure category (national or European) of the road, taking into account the transported weight and the maximum weight allowed on these two sectors.
The Guide for Establishing Routes in the Internal Traffic Network is distributed free of charge to any legal person by ARR and AND, and to any moral person by ACR.

The New Passengers’ Terminal -Otopeni International Arrivals

Starting with November 22, 2000, Otopeni Airport has a modern passenger’s terminal - International Arrivals. On the occasion of the inauguration of this facility, it was organised o press conference which was attended by Miss Anca Boiagiu, Minister of Transportation, Mr. Aleodor Francu, State Secretary in the Aviation field with the Ministry of Transportation, Mr. Traian Basescu and of course, Mr. Gabriel Tara, General Manager of the International Airport, Bucharest Otopeni.
The international arrival terminal station is part of the project to modernise and development of the International Airport Otopeni approved by GO no 191/1992. The project included two stages: the first (92.7 million dollars worth) dealt with the building of the new departures terminal and of a finger with five access ways to the plane. The second meant reorganising and the rearrangement of the old passenger’s terminal for the international arrival flow. Aside from reorganising and the rearrangement of the old passenger’s terminal for the international arrival flow and taking over the internal passengers’ flow, the second stage also includes several other objectives like expanding the luggage control area at the departure terminal, building a multistoried driveway and expanding the existing one, auxiliary building and special equipment for the use of the airport. This investment project includes a third stage. For the proceedings, new investors are being enticed. This third phase contemplates building a new 200 places hotel, arranging a new cargo terminal and expanding the finger by making a satellite, increasing the number of serviceable spots for the bellows corridors to 11.

Reporting Silvia Mitulescu and Oana Bran