Will Bulgaria Have a Stable Government After Yet Another Election in June? Our Readers Have Spoken
On our Facebook page, readers were asked about Bulgaria's stability after the June elections
Bulgarian Regional Minister Lilyana Pavlova forecasted that the introduction of toll roads in the country will double or triple the revenues generated from road charges.
The toll system will be applicable to cargo vehicles with a weight above 3.5 tonnes and drivers will be charged depending on the distance covered by them.
Cars below 3.5 tonnes will not pay the new toll tax, but will stick to the present vignette system which will become electronic.
Pavlova expects that with the increased prices of vignette stickers from the beginning of this year, annual revenue from the sale of the vignette stickers will rise from BGN 200 M to BGN 250-260 M.
The minister made this comments at the eleventh annual conference “Strategic infrastructure and investments: Bulgaria in connected Europe 2016” held on Tuesday.
Out of the 20 000 kilometres of republican road network, the toll and vignette system will cover 17 000 kilometres. No taxes will be levied on the remaining 3000 kilometres, which consist of small local roads.
The toll system will not be applied to all third-class roads, but only to those with transit traffic.
In her words, this was a just approach as those traveling the most and causing the greatest damage to the infrastructure would pay more.
She added that this year the focus will not be so much on the construction of infrastructure, as it had been last year, but rather on restructuring the management in the sector.
One such restructuring will be the merging of the National Company Strategic Infrastructure Projects into the Road Infrastructure Agency (API).
Pavlova noted that 2016 will not be an easy year as it marks a transit period between two programme periods, adding that the introduction of a mixed model of payment for road travel will begin shortly.
The minister expressed hope that a public tender for the selection of a contractor will be launched next week.
The selected contractor will have to develop software and hardware and incorporate the toll system.
The electronic vignette will be valid for a year regardless of the month it is purchased in.
The maintenance of small roads will continue to be among the priorities this year.
The increased revenues from vignette stickers will be used to finance road repairs in certain regions, with the priority being on northwestern and northeastern Bulgaria.
We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!
As the May holidays mark the onset of sea tourism, Bulgarians and foreigners preparing for their annual getaways are facing a stark reality: trips this year will come with a heftier price tag
Sofia, the vibrant capital of Bulgaria, is experiencing a surge in its economic landscape, surpassing the average European standard of living, according to senior researcher Peter Ganev from the Institute for Market Economics
Mounting uncertainty looms over Bulgaria's anticipated entry into the Eurozone, with officials cautioning that the prospect may be delayed amidst persisting inflation challenges
In an unexpected turn, Bulgaria and Turkey have been notably absent from the list of the ten cheapest European summer destinations for British tourists
According to the latest data released by the National Statistical Institute, Bulgarian household incomes experienced a remarkable surge in 2023, reaching an average of BGN 10,846 per household member.
The National Statistical Institute's latest report unveils a marginal annual increase in the income of Bulgarians in 2023 compared to their expenses, marking a reversal of the trend observed in 2022
UN Happiness Report: Bulgaria's Astonishing Leap in Rankings
Bulgaria: 3 Regions With Lowest Life Expectancy - EU Report 2022