Ivan Hristanov, leader of the "Unity" (Edinenie) party and former Deputy Minister of Agriculture, has criticized the handling of border buffer parking lots, which he claims are controlled by a few mobsters with the help of state institutions and political parties. He expressed his concerns about these parking lots, which are privately owned and charge truck drivers fees—15 leva for Bulgarian trucks and 25 euros for foreign ones.

A recent emergency meeting called by Acting Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev aimed to gather detailed information from various government ministries and agencies about the situation. The meeting emphasized the need to improve buffer parking to ease traffic around border crossings, but noted that additional measures were needed to reduce waiting times and prevent line breaches.

Hristanov noted that similar issues have been observed near Ruse, though a solution has been implemented there. He criticized the lack of effective measures and pointed out that in the case of refusal to pay the fees, truck drivers face racketeering, extortion, and even having their trucks' license plates withdrawn.

According to Hristanov, neighboring countries, including Turkey, Greece, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Romania, are considering ways to bypass Bulgaria, which could lead to a loss of business, reduced revenue, and decreased employment and wages in the country. He recalled a diplomatic conversation where it was revealed that Bulgaria's former Prime Minister Borissov refused to address the issue, directing complaints instead to the company managing the parking lots, which he alleged had ties to organized crime.

Hristanov criticized the political parties for not addressing the issue, accusing them of supporting the mafia to maintain their own positions. He dismissed recent inspections by the National Revenue Agency (NRA) and the State Agency for National Security (SANS) as inadequate, suggesting they were merely for show.

On Thursday, the National Revenue Agency (NRA) and the State Agency "National Security" (SANS) launched inspections of buffer parking lots for heavy goods vehicles at Bulgaria's borders, as ordered by Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev following an emergency meeting aimed at addressing border traffic congestion.

The inspections are part of a broader effort to evaluate the current situation and implement measures to improve traffic flow. The meeting highlighted the role of buffer parking lots in managing congestion and discussed additional steps needed to reduce truck waiting times and prevent passage disruptions.

Deputy Transport Minister Dimitar Nedyalkov noted similar issues at Vidin and Ruse, with a solution already in place at Ruse and plans to apply it to the "Danube Bridge 2" crossing. Urgent discussions with local authorities and the parking lot management in Vidin are planned. The meeting also included key figures such as the Ministers of Regional Development and Agriculture, as well as the heads of the NRA, Border Police, and Customs Agency.

Last week, at the 44th General Assembly of the Union of Road Transport Associations in the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Region (BSEC-URTA) and other major transport events held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan from September 2 to 6, Bulgaria faced significant criticism for its border crossing management.

Leaders from the IRU and BSEC-URTA condemned Bulgaria's handling of border issues, prompting Turkey and Greece to explore alternative transport routes to bypass the country. This development follows Bulgaria's unexpected reinstatement of vehicle disinfection procedures at major checkpoints, which has led to further delays and prompted BSEC-URTA to call for the removal of these measures.

The Chamber of Motor Carriers in Bulgaria has accused the country of applying discriminatory practices and warned that failure to address these issues could isolate Bulgaria as global transport dynamics shift.

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