site.btaGovernment Pulls out Controversial Automobile Chamber Bill

NW 15:32:01 25-06-2018
LN1529NW.111
111 ECONOMY - TRANSPORT - LEGISLATION - PROTEST - COUNTERPROTEST

Government Pulls out
Controversial Automobile
Chamber Bill


Sofia, June 25 (BTA) - A controversial bill to establish a Road Transport Chamber replacing the existing Road Transport Administration will be pulled out. Prime Minister Boyko Borissov announced the decision after meeting with representatives of transport companies which were threatening to block roads in protest against the contemplated legislation, the Bulgarian National Radio reported.

The protesting companies have brought to Sofia 250 buses and 50 trucks but pulled them out after meeting with the Prime Minister.

Borissov said that he has "ordered" the MP who have moved the bill, GERB's Stanislav Ivanov, to retract it.

The Prime Minister also said that he wants all stake-holders "to sit down in a calm atmosphere and make sure the automobile sector is calmed down and disciplined". He wants effective control and nothing to give the automobile sector a reason to suspect lobbyism.

Meanwhile several other automobile organizations threatened conter-protests on July 4 demanding that the bill be brought back to the legislature to allow the establishment of a Road Transport Chamber. They held a news conference to make public their position. It is upheld by the Union of International Carriers, the Bulgarian Association of Unions in the Autumobile Transport and the Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria.

They argue that the opponents of the proposed legislation are a minority in the transport sector and are brought together "by lobbyist interests quided by former MP Ivaylo Konstantinov". Vassil PIronkov of the National Association of Bus Carriers accused the opponents of the bill of manipulation and unprecedented extortion.

Supported by the ruling GERB, the power-sharing United Patriots and the opposition Volya, the bill stipulates that the Road Transport Chamber will have some powers which now sit with the government, including licensing and control on operation. Membership will be compulsory. Once elected, its management board can practically become non-replaceable. The opponents of the bill argue that it cannot solve the problems with the illegal businesses in the sector, will create insecurity for passengers, will fail to fight corruption and only move it from the government to the private sector.

As of June 15, Bulgaria has 1,446 licensed companies for bus transport and only a tenth of them, or 128 companies, are members of one or another association.

The claim that nearly 100 per cent of the automobile sector are against the bill, is false, the bill's advocates said.

Ilian Filipov of the Bulgarian Association of Unions in the Autumobile Transport said only four companies are unhappy with the bill and fear self-regulation in the transport business "because this means rules in the sector".

He said the immediate effect of the situation is "attempts to ignite political clashes in which the stake is the best working sector of the Bulgarian economy". LN/VI//



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