Carriers demand resignation of regional development minister

Bulgarian carriers on January demanded the resignation of the minister of regional development, Petya Avramova, because of the introduced tolls system tariffs, despite their requests and despite the discussions in the expert council at the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works. According to them, carriers and consumers will suffer losses from the toll system.

The protest of the carriers is open-ended and will affect 60 cities in the country. 3000 buses and 2000 TIR lorries are expected to stop work.

The protest of the bus and coach operators will be joined on January 13 by international road hauliers.

According to the carriers, consumers will have a problem with the toll system because carriers have to request changes to the contracts with the municipalities for the transport of passengers.

Yordan Arabadzhiev, Union of International Carriers: The coverage of the toll system in the EU, where such system exists, is between 1 and 7%. The latter case has been in the Czech Republic since 1 December - the coverage is between 4 - 5%.

Magdalena Miltenova, Confederation of Bus Carriers: The toll system introduces some unfair amounts that are in practice far higher than the real opportunities of the Bulgarian economy. We cannot say that in Bulgaria the rates for the toll system are at the average European level, provided that you know at what level our economy is and, accordingly, the incomes of the Bulgarian population.