site.btaSales of All Kinds of Vignette Stickers Up 10-20% on 2016

Sofia, December 22 (BTA) - The sales of all kinds of vignette stickers in 2017 rose between 10 and 20 per cent from 2016, Doncho Atanassov, Chair of the Management Board of the Road Infrastructure Agency, told a news conference. The budget revenues from them are expected to reach about 350 million leva, compared to 316 million leva in 2016.

The ratio between sticker revenues from cars and trucks is 70-30 as in recent years.

The positive results are attributed to regular checks by the Agency and the Interior Ministry, which found no fake stickers this year.

The vignette stickers for 2018 are in the retail network as of December 22. This is the first time annual stickers will be valid as of the purchase date, not until January 31 regardless of the date of purchase as now. Also, three-month car vignette stickers will be available for the first time for a fee of 54 leva. The stickers have new security features used by securities printers.

Regarding the toll system, Atanassov said the Agency would sign a public procurement contract after January 29 when the Supreme Administrative Court is to pronounce on the complaints filed by tenderers. The toll system should go into operation in 2018 and should start generating sound revenues early in 2019.

Asked about the priorities in 2018, Atanassov singled out construction of the Hemus Motorway, public procurement procedures for the motorway between Rousse and Veliko Turnovo and the stretch of Struma Motorway at the Kresna Gorge. The maintenance of 6,000 km of roads in disrepair, especially third-grade roads, is also a priority.