Road Traffic in Romania in European Context - an Economic and Social Approach - part 1

• Author: Florin-Dan Puscaciu, Rose-Marie Puscaciu
• Pages: 326-334

European Integration - Realities and Perspectives. Proceedings 2017

326

Road Traffic in Romania in European Context - an Economic and Social

Approach. Part 1

Florin-Dan Pușcaciu1, Rose-Marie Pușcaciu2

Abstract: This article is a further detail of the other one on the demographic crisis of Romania. (Pu șcaciu et

al., 2016). The big gap with the EU average conceals a real crisis that affects the entire economic development

and generates profound negative social effects. The lack of adequate road tran sport infrastructure deprives

Romania of applying modern methods of just-in-time management and determines that comparative advantages

- such as the relatively cheap and qualified labor force - are annihilated and ultimately derives a lack of

attractiveness for external investors. But the most serious consequence is the large number of deaths, caused

by road accidents, the direct consequence of the lack of a network of highways, and even of some traditional

roads. For the positioning of Romania in a European context in terms of quantity, but also in terms of

chronological evolution, we consider it is useful to analyze some indicators that commensurate the situation of

Romania. We propose that these aspects be studied with the help of the statistical-mathematical instrumentation

using the graphic method, for which we used the R Studio software.

Keywords: road infrastructure; highways; road accidents; fatality; corruption

JEL Code: O350; R1; R2; R3; R4; R5

1. Content

Although the importance of road infrastructure on society has become an axiom since the ancient period,

see the roads or bridges built by the Romans, we will still look at some contemporary aspects related to

the lack and benefits of an appropriate infrastructure in contemporary Romania.

We illustrate the importance of the transport infrastructure in terms of the largest producer and exporter

of cars in Romania, that is Dacia-Renault respectively. The company's chief operating Renault

conditioning operation uses firm capacity mentioned that: "Romanian state has to improve road

infrastructure and sea". Failure of important transport infrastructure has led the company Renault not to

develop the platform at Pitești, due to high transport costs to the borders of Romania, so that the French

will not invest in Romania, and conclusively they will invest in the factory in Morocco. According to

the same sources, the plant has an installed capacity of 350,000 cars annually and in 2013 produced a

total of 342,620 units.

The Vice President of Dacia-Renault mentioned that: the lack of a freeway between Pitești and Sibiu

generates additional costs of 166 euros for each car produced in Pitești compared with that produced in

Morocco, which directly affects the competitiveness of the product. "While transporting a car from

Pitești to Constanța costs 98 euros, and a similar car produced in Tangier-Morocco to a port over a

distance of 29 kilometers costs 14 euros. By the highway construction to facilitate transport by car from

σădlac border, thus increasing the cost of a car only with 68 euros. Another problem encountered by the

1 Professor, PhD, Department of Economics, Danubius University of Galati, Romania, Address: 3 Galati Blvd., Galati 800654,

Romania, Tel.: +40372361102, E-mail: fdpuscaciu@univ-danubius.ro.

2, Senior Lecturer, PhD, Department of Economics, Danubius University of Galati, Romania, Address: 3 Galati Blvd., Galati

800654, Romania, Tel.: +40372361102, Corresponding author: rosemarie.puscaciu@univ-danubius.ro.