site.btaRide Sharing Will Not Be Punishable
NW 14:34:01 16-12-2020
LN1445NW.107
107 POLITICS - PARLIAMENT - RIDE SHARING
Ride Sharing
Will Not Be
Punishable
Sofia, December 16 (BTA) - Parliament voted conclusively on Wednesday to leave ride sharing outside the ambit of Penal Code revisions introducing criminal liability for the unauthorized transportation of passengers. The MPs adopted conclusively provisions of the Merchant Shipping Code, thus upholding a veto imposed by President Rumen Radev in early November on revisions would have had grave consequences for ride sharing, which is becoming increasingly popular in Bulgaria.
The Merchant Shipping Code revisions amend the Automobile Transport Act and introduce new elements of a criminal offence under the Penal Code for unauthorized transportation of passengers. It will carry between two and five years' imprisonment instead of ten years as proposed initially. In addition, if ride-sharing passengers pay for the fuel, this will not be considered an economic benefit.
When he vetoed the revisions in early November, the President argued that while he did not question the premise that the unauthorized carriage of passengers - which is considered an administrative misdemeanor now - is a public hazard, he finds that the new legislation determines the same act to be both a misdemeanor and a crime, with no clarity about which of the two will be applicable. Radev also argued that it remained unclear how the unauthorized carriage of passengers would be distinguished from ride sharing and car pooling.
Iglika Subeva (GERB) explained: "To make it perfectly clear and rule out any misinterpretation of the legal provision and its obvious inapplicability, we have specified that the public transportation of passengers without the requisite documents must be done by occupation for the envisaged sanctions to apply."
Socialist MP Georgi Svilenski thanked the Transport Committee and GERB for heeding all criticisms and assured the public that they need not worry about ride sharing.
The President's veto had triggered protests from taxi cab drivers and private bus operator who, along with representatives of business and trade union organizations, demanded that the unauthorized carriage of passengers be criminalized. RY/DD
//
LN1445NW.107
107 POLITICS - PARLIAMENT - RIDE SHARING
Ride Sharing
Will Not Be
Punishable
Sofia, December 16 (BTA) - Parliament voted conclusively on Wednesday to leave ride sharing outside the ambit of Penal Code revisions introducing criminal liability for the unauthorized transportation of passengers. The MPs adopted conclusively provisions of the Merchant Shipping Code, thus upholding a veto imposed by President Rumen Radev in early November on revisions would have had grave consequences for ride sharing, which is becoming increasingly popular in Bulgaria.
The Merchant Shipping Code revisions amend the Automobile Transport Act and introduce new elements of a criminal offence under the Penal Code for unauthorized transportation of passengers. It will carry between two and five years' imprisonment instead of ten years as proposed initially. In addition, if ride-sharing passengers pay for the fuel, this will not be considered an economic benefit.
When he vetoed the revisions in early November, the President argued that while he did not question the premise that the unauthorized carriage of passengers - which is considered an administrative misdemeanor now - is a public hazard, he finds that the new legislation determines the same act to be both a misdemeanor and a crime, with no clarity about which of the two will be applicable. Radev also argued that it remained unclear how the unauthorized carriage of passengers would be distinguished from ride sharing and car pooling.
Iglika Subeva (GERB) explained: "To make it perfectly clear and rule out any misinterpretation of the legal provision and its obvious inapplicability, we have specified that the public transportation of passengers without the requisite documents must be done by occupation for the envisaged sanctions to apply."
Socialist MP Georgi Svilenski thanked the Transport Committee and GERB for heeding all criticisms and assured the public that they need not worry about ride sharing.
The President's veto had triggered protests from taxi cab drivers and private bus operator who, along with representatives of business and trade union organizations, demanded that the unauthorized carriage of passengers be criminalized. RY/DD
//
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