The vehicle access ban in the historical part of the top landmark of Bulgaria's Black Sea capital Varna, the beautiful Sea Garden, became effective Monday.

The historical part now is an entirely pedestrian zone, except for emergency and other service cars, while there is a stricter regime in the other areas.

Varna Mayor, Kiril Yordanov, explains that the barrier near the "Primorski" swimming pool will be dismantled and replaced by equipment that would limit in full any vehicle access.

Vehicles will be allowed to enter the park through the Alley One entrance to the shopping center known as Piccadilly Park, but will be let running only on the coastal alley to the Pantheon monument, where there will be a police patrol.

The barrier at the entrance near the Summer Theater will remain, however, only specialized vehicles will be let trough, and this will be the only entrance for them.

Vehicles will be allowed through the entrance near the Horizont (Horizon) restaurant, but only to its parking lot and only until all parking spaces are taken.

At the Dolphinarium entrance, only cars of people residing in the area will be let through upon presenting an ID with address registration.

Security cameras will be mounted at all of the above locations.

Restaurants, bars and other establishments will be stocked between 4 am and 9 am.

The ban is considered a victory for citizens and environmentalists in Varna who staged recently a blockade of all of the five vehicle-accessible entrances of the Sea Garden.

The activists were outraged by the fact that cars were entering the garden without any obstructions and drivers were allowed to park all over, even on the grass, while the police remained inactive even when notified about the violations. The vehicle restriction regime on the coastal alley was not endorsed as well.

The organizers demanded a full ban on vehicle access to the park, except for emergency and other service cars, steep sanctions for violators, a halt on the unregulated issuing of passes from the City Hall to a number of drivers, and the immediate publishing of the names and/or companies of all pass-holders on the municipal website.

At the beginning of July, scores of citizens and environmentalists rallied in Varna with demands to ban all construction in the Sea Garden.