Bulgaria Truckers Protest High Diesel Prices
Society | May 19, 2008, Monday
About 1,000 truckers across Bulgaria protest Monday against the record high prices of the diesel fuel in the country. Photo by Nadya Kotseva (
Sofia Photo Agency)
About 1,000 truckers across Bulgaria protest Monday against the record high prices of the diesel fuel in the country.
Drivers in Sofia are holding their protest at the entrances to the city as they decided not to block further the congested traffic.
Protesters demand that the government urgently takes measures to curb the constantly rising fuel prices in Bulgaria, which are among the highest in Europe.
During the last few years the gasoline excise increased by 128% while the tax hike for the diesel is 445.5 %, experts said.
Although the taxes are still lower than those of the other EU members, the prices are already record high and truckers say they have started to fill their tanks in countries like Slovenia where the fuel is considerably cheaper.
While a litre of diesel in Bulgaria costs BGN 2,51 (EUR1.28), the price in Slovenia, where salaries are considerably higher, is EUR 1,16.
Diesel prices in Romania, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland and Austria are also lower compared to Bulgaria, statistics show.
According to transport companies, the high fuel prices are a result of speculation and cartel agreements.
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Author: Mat, 19 May 2008 10:47:15
Bulgaria Truckers Protest High Diesel Prices
Hang on - haven't these same people been buying it tax free through the illegal-but-closely-connected-to-the-government gas stations in the border zones until very recently whilst the rest of us have been paying the full whack? We've been subsidising them and the minute they have to pay the full amount, they're protesting. Cheeky bastards
Author: goahead, 19 May 2008 13:33:44
Bulgaria Truckers Protest High Diesel Prices
yup the same ones.....the same drivers that drive like maniacs on high ways.....and sometimes on normal roads too.....one too many times i have seen how trucks struggle to overtake trucks while there is incoming traffic (2 lane scenario).....and wasn't there another story concerning a truck today in the news.......I fully understand that these cases might be considered "exceptions" however perhaps the transport companies should demand that their drivers adhere more strictly to conventional traffic regulations.
And at the end of the day....(not going into the cartel aspect of things)....free market = price changes.....crude is going up.....of course its gonna reflect on other aspects of the economy
Author: Robin, 19 May 2008 13:55:44
Bulgaria Truckers Protest High Diesel Prices
The truckers should also look at the road taxes for lorries in countries where diesel is cheap. I know in Germany Diesel is A LOT cheaper than petrol, but it is still not worth driving a diesel car unless you travel over 20 or 30K km per year (probably more than that).
Author: BULERICAN, 20 May 2008 00:28:31
Bulgaria Truckers Protest High Diesel Prices
Author: Robin 19 May 2008 13:55:44
The truckers should also look at the road taxes for lorries in countries where diesel is cheap. I know in Germany Diesel is A LOT cheaper than petrol, but it is still not worth driving a diesel car unless you travel over 20 or 30K km per year (probably more than that).
Robin,
When was the last time you were in Germany ???
Weekend before last, Diesel was more expensive than Normal benzin depending upon brand name of the gas station.
It is now but 1-2 Euro cent cheaper than Normal benzin.
BTW, Normal and Super benzin have been the same price for about 3 months now.
It is the intention of the producers to do away with Normal benzin, and to slowly bring the price of Diesel above that of Super benzin.
Primary reason being that 2 out of 3 new car purchases are Diesel powered.
Secondary reason being because they can.
Author: Robin, 20 May 2008 07:32:09
Bulgaria Truckers Protest High Diesel Prices
he he, about 5 years ago. So yes my knowledge on fuel prices is a little out of date...
Author: goahead, 20 May 2008 09:12:10
Bulgaria Truckers Protest High Diesel Prices
http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2008-05/39042443.jpg
even in the US petrol prices are at an all time "high". No reason to think ours would remain unchanged. Still......I guess it must be nice to pay just a little over a dollar per liter.......
Author: Bill, 20 May 2008 11:43:59
Bulgaria Truckers Protest High Diesel Prices
Bulerican:
Cou a possible tertiary reason be they'll make more money that way?
Author: CJB, 23 May 2008 13:58:04
Bulgaria Truckers Protest High Diesel Prices
Quite right Robin. That photo with the story is not taken during the truckers' protest, it's just a normal day on the Sofia ring road, with a maniac trucker overtaking another. Pity the poor Moskvitch driver coming in the other direction...
Author: CJB, 23 May 2008 14:20:17
Bulgaria Truckers Protest High Diesel Prices
Also, some of the claims in this article are just not true. Diesel in Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Switzerland is MORE expensive than in Bulgaria!
Novinite, you REALLY should CHECK YOUR FACTS! Not just blandly state "statistics show".....WHICH STATISTICS? Quoted by whom? The truckers???
Here are some recent (April 2008) statistics from a named source which show Bulgarian diesel is actually cheaper than in many other European countries:
http://aadrivingschool.co.uk/onlinenews/allaboutcars/fuel/2008/april2008.pdf
Their source is the European Road Information Centre (Geneva), and based on figures as at 16 April 2008.
Author: CJB, 23 May 2008 14:30:09
Bulgaria Truckers Protest High Diesel Prices
Just found the May 2008 Fuel Price Report from the AA, which exposes the truckers' claims as even bigger lies!
Diesel in Spain is now more expensive than in Bulgaria. In fact, in the report only 6 European countries have cheaper diesel than Bulgaria, all the rest are more expensive. Can't find data on Romania, even if it's cheaper there the BG truckers have not got so much to complain about really.
http://aadrivingschool.co.uk/onlinenews/allaboutcars/fuel/2008/may2008.pdf
