site.btaRailway Transport Act Amended on First Reading

The National Assembly Wednesday adopted at first reading two bills amending the Railway Transport Act. The first bill, sponsored by MP Dimitar Naydenov of Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria, was passed with 148 votes in favour, two against and three abstentions. The second bill was sponsored by the Council of Ministers and was adopted with 97 votes in favour, 55 against and five abstentions.

The bill tabled by Naydenov creates the possibility of storing on electronic media the locomotive's waybill, the train's brake mass certificate, the locomotive's logbook and the train timetable. 

The bill submitted by the Council of Ministers provides for changes related to a European Commission (EC) reasoned opinion within an infringement procedure against Bulgaria. The procedure concerns the country's failure to transpose the European directive regarding the opening of the market for domestic passenger transport services and the governance of railway infrastructure.