National Assembly adopts texts of the Road Traffic Act at first reading

On 26^th of July, the Bulgarian Parliament began debating amendments to the Road Traffic Act at first reading.

The system for collecting tolls from heavy-goods vehicles in Bulgaria, weighing more than 3 and a half tonnes, will start operating on 16^th of August next year. This was voted by the MPs at first reading. Toll system and electronic vignette were introduced with the changes.

Heavy-goods vehicles weighing more than 3,5 tonnes will use the toll system, based on the distance travelled. It will be computed with a mounted GPS. Passenger cars will be electronically vignetted, based on trip duration. The electronic vignette will enter into force on 1^st of January, 2019. It will be possible to pay the fees electronically and in cash.

Alexander Nenkov, Parliamentary group of “GERB”: The problem lies in the large heavy-goods vehicles with a maximum permissible weight exceeding 3,5 tonnes. These are the ones that cause more damages to roads. 240 million BGN are collected from vignette stickers, 90 million BGN come from heavy-goods vehicles. You understand how unfair the current model is.

Nikola Dinkov, PG of opposition “BSP for Bulgaria”: In many countries, where the toll system has been introduced, there are both paid and toll- free roads - they are called duplicate roads because we know very well that increasing the toll for heavy-goods vehicles and buses will also lead to some other price rises from what is being used. Will there be duplicate roads?

Pavel Shopov, PG of "United Patriots", junior partner in the ruling coalition: Where did they see such a thing in Europe? Passing like fast trains through a small railway station? In Bulgaria drunk drivers of Turkish heavy-goods vehicles cause crashes and damages continuously and pay nothing for the roads. For years Bulgarian roads have been virtually free of charge.

Tanner Ali, PG of “DPS” (Movements for Rights and Freedoms): Investments should be synchronized for municipal road infrastructure as well, even if there is a regulation, when such infrastructure projects on the national road network are financed from the revenues, that come from the toll and vignette fees, such municipalities should be financed.

The Parliament is expected to review today the texts of the Law on Privatisation and Post-privatszation Control as returned from President Rumen Radev for another consideration. This was proposed for the weekly programme at the suggestion of the National Assembly Speaker Tsveta Karayancheva.