The delayed launch of the Rabla programs has drastically reduced new car registrations
Articol de Radiojurnal, 31 Iulie 2025, 02:05
The repeated postponement of the start of the Rabla and Rabla Plus programs has led to a decrease in the number of new vehicles registered.
This favors the proliferation of used cars, registered for the first time in Romania, warns the Romanian Automobile Manufacturers Association. RRA correspondent Cristian Matei provides details.
Reporter: Last month, new car registrations fell sharply, by around 50% compared to June last year, while cumulatively for the first half of 2025, the decline is almost a quarter compared to the same period in 2024. The reason: the delay in launching the two programs, Rabla and Rabla Plus, conclude analysts at ACAROM.
Adrian Sandu, secretary general: It is clear that a large number of customers who wanted to purchase new vehicles did not wait any longer, and some of them turned to second-hand vehicles. We are not against second-hand vehicles, we must make that very clear, but when sales are not taxed, it represents unfair competition for Romanian manufacturers and new vehicle sellers.
In other words, the state is losing a lot of money. Furthermore, the postponement of the two programs aimed at renewing the car fleet only leads to an increase in the number of used cars on Romanian roads.
Adrian Sandu: We have now reached a ratio of 1 to 3 between newly registered vehicles and imported used vehicles.
Translated by: Radu Matei
