Bulgaria's Transport Commission Backs Presidential Veto on Bus Traffic Law

Politics | September 21, 2007, Friday // 00:00

The Transport Commission with Bulgaria's parliament backed Friday the veto of President Georgi Parvanov on the amended law on bus traffic, which controversially allow tour operators to organise trips for students during nighttime.

President's veto is an extraordinary point on the agenda of the Friday sitting of the parliament. The MPs are expected to back his veto on first reading.

The amended texts on the bus traffic law are in direct contradiction with the constitutional duty of the state to protect children, Parvanov said in a note explaining his reasoning.

Additionally, the amendments set out different conditions for operating for domestic and foreign bus companies, which breaches competition laws and shows the influence of local lobbying, he added.

A ban on student night trips was imposed in March under pressure from the parents of the children who died in the Lim river crash on April 4, 2004.

The group was travelling home after a school trip to Dubrovnik in Croatia, but during the night the vehicle slipped off the road and plunged into the swollen Lim River, claiming the lives of twelve children.

The amendments were passed on last Friday, by a slim majority, thanks to the votes of the ruling Socialist and ethnic Turk party, sparking tension between them and the opposition, but also their coalition partners NMSP, the former king's party.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!

Politics » Be a reporter: Write and send your article

Advertisement
Advertisement
Bulgaria news Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) is unique with being a real time news provider in English that informs its readers about the latest Bulgarian news. The editorial staff also publishes a daily online newspaper "Sofia Morning News." Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) and Sofia Morning News publish the latest economic, political and cultural news that take place in Bulgaria. Foreign media analysis on Bulgaria and World News in Brief are also part of the web site and the online newspaper. News Bulgaria