Entire Transport Branch to Protest against Road Toll System on January 13
NW 16:37:01 07-01-2020
DS1634NW.109
109 ECONOMY - ROAD TOLL SYSTEM - TRANSPORT BRANCH - PROTEST
Entire 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
/ДЛ/
DS1634NW.109
109 ECONOMY - ROAD TOLL SYSTEM - TRANSPORT BRANCH - PROTEST
Entire 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
/ДЛ/
EUR 1.9558
USD 1.724
CHF 1.8657