People with Disabilities Protest Against New Regulations for Driving Licenses

Citizens with special needs have staged a protest against new legal regulations concerning driving licences. In Plovdiv, demonstrators gathered in front of the Transport Hospital, where the specialised medical commission responsible for assessing them is based.

The protest involves people with limited mobility as well as drivers who are deaf. These are individuals who hold TELK (medical assessment) decisions for various conditions, yet are required to appear periodically before specialised medical commissions to renew their driving licences. Protesters point out that they are usually issued licences valid for only two to three years, even though the Law on Personal Documents allows up to ten years for private drivers and five years for professional ones.

The demonstrators argue that the way the so-called TOLE commissions currently operate places them in a discriminatory position. They also claim that the individual judgments of the doctors are often subjective and not based on clear, objective criteria — a situation that, they say, creates opportunities for corruption.

The protest in Plovdiv was supported by former racing drivers and representatives of the Union of Bulgarian Motorists, who stated that drivers with disabilities are often among the most careful and disciplined on the road and do not deserve such treatment. There are four such specialised commissions in Bulgaria, with the Plovdiv commission serving the entire southern part of the country.

Siyana Ivanova from the association “Hope for a Dignified Life” said:

“This process is a major difficulty. First, there’s a long wait just to appear before the commission, then another long wait at the Traffic Police (KAT) office where the licence is issued. The whole procedure is slow, exhausting and frustrating.”

Dr. Plamen Pavlov, Director of the Plovdiv Transport Hospital, commented:

“If we act outside these regulations, we would be breaking the law and could face legal sanctions. Yes, the system can create conditions for corruption — but what doesn’t? Last year, for example, I dismissed an ophthalmologist for such practices.”