site.btaEntire Transport Branch to Protest against Road Toll System on January 13

Sofia, January 7 (BTA) - On January 13, representatives of 
passenger, freight, international and taxi transport branches
will stage a national protest against what they consider a road
toll system with unfair coverage and prices, as well as against
unregulated transport operations. They will be joined by
representatives of the National Grain Producer Association and
the Association of Bulgarian Fuel Traders, Manufacturers,
Importers and Carriers. This transpired at a BTA-hosted news
conference here on Tuesday, where over 20 representatives of the
 transport branch also demanded the resignation of Regional
Development and Public Works Minister Petya Avramova.

The participants in the news conference specified that the
January 13 protest is not political and is not aimed at bringing
 down the Government.

Carriers from 60 cities are to participate in the protest,
during which there will be no passenger and freight transport
services, including services for supplying retail stores. Also,
trucks and cars will be positioned on specific locations across
Bulgaria. The protest will continue until specific political
commitments are made along with specific deadlines for their
implementation.

Yordan Arabadzhiev of the Union of International Hauliers
commented that the Regional Development Ministry did not take
into view a single one of the business' demands and did not find
 a solution to a single one of the proposals made since November
 2019. "The road toll system's coverage and prices and the lack
of preferential conditions for the Bulgarian transport business
leave us no choice but to protest," he added. He explained that
Minister Avramova should resign because as head of the Regional
Development Ministry, she disrupted the dialogue from the last
months on "finding the balance and the gradual transition needed
 to give the Bulgarian transport business a breath of fresh
air."

Arabadzhiev specified that in Bulgaria the toll system covers 65
 per cent of the roads used by heavy duty trucks, while in
Europe this percentage is between 1 and 7 per cent.

Bulgaria's international hauliers support the position of their
colleagues from the  bus transport branch against unregulated
passenger transport operations. "We expect common sense to be
shown so that the Bulgarian transport business and consumers,
who will also be affected, would not suffer due to the sudden
introduction of these toll charges," Arabadzhiev commented.

According to Vassil Piroknov of the Chamber of Bulgarian Road
Hauliers, the road toll system will be a problem not so much for
 hauliers as for consumers, because it will lead to a
significant appreciation of passenger and freight transport.

Magdalena Miltenova of the Confederation of Bus Carriers said
they are not trying to avoid toll charges, since they are paying
 much more than necessary as it is.
 
RY/DS