Economic Commentary: Placing Commercial Facilities in the Public Road Zone

According to the commentary, at least two out of three facilities in the public road zone are sited illegally or with serious violations. Instead of tackling the transformation of national roads into markets, the ministry proposes authorising commercial and economic facilities such as warehouses and refrigerators, arguing that they already occupy state land without paying for it. The authors argue this will not raise budget revenue, improve road quality or average traffic speed, and will seriously harm traffic safety.

The road zone exists exclusively for safety and maintenance. Under Law No. 509/1995, only facilities serving road users may be placed in protection zones, with advertising panels a regulated exception, tightened after the accident that killed the poet Grigore Vieru. Authorisation is assessed in two stages, but it does not guarantee compliance, so road administrators must monitor it constantly. The commentary was produced with NED support.