Driving in Romania

On second thoughts, are Romania’s roads really all that bad?

by Craig Turp January 24, 2012 Romania

 As you will probably know if you have read this, we spent the festive season at our in-laws in Petresti, Satu Mare, at the other end of the country. Having completely forgotten to book flights back when we should have done in October, we ended up driving. The experience was, surprisingly, not all bad. It [...]

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The Myth of Mircea Lucescu

by Craig Turp January 8, 2012 Bucharest

 On Friday morning Mircea Lucescu, Romanian coach of the Ukrainian football team Shakthar Donetsk was seriously injured in a car accident in the Drumul Taberei district of Bucharest. According to initial reports, Lucescu – in Romania for the winter holidays – allegedly caused the accident himself by attempting an illegal U-turn across a double tram [...]

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Rovinietas for all

by Craig Turp February 15, 2011 Bucharest

 A marvelous example of inequality at work in Romania: Romanian subsistence farmers, living in small villages and benefiting from very little income, want to drive (probably in an old Dacia) to the nearest town of any decent size to sell their produce. As they will be using national roads, they need to buy a Rovinieta [...]

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When crossing the road in Romania, it’s best to be quick

by Craig Turp August 23, 2010 Romania

 Here’s a heartwarming story of a Romanian policeman for once doing the right thing and helping out his fellow citizens… Last week, in the small town Calarasi, south east of Bucharest, an off duty policeman stopped at a pedestrian crossing to allow a man to cross. (A selfless and all too uncommon act in itself). [...]

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Some good ideas simply don’t work in Romania

by Craig Turp April 5, 2010 Bucharest

 The PDL senator Iulian Urban came up with – on paper – a sound idea last week: Fines for driving offences should vary according to the income of the offender. A sound idea indeed, although not entirely original: Finland has had a similar system in place for years. Other countries probably do too. But think [...]

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