The deputies endorsed the amendments to the Road Law, which provide for the commercial exploitation of the toll-based electronic toll system to be started on March 1, 2020 at the latest.

Initially, the system was scheduled to work on August 16th this year, but the carrier industry voiced doubts about charging, which forced the start only on the technical side, and the actual collection of the fees for trucks over 3,5 tonnes, will be postponed for the next year.

March 1, 2020 is the deadline, but if the tests prove to be successful and a rapid consensus on the scope of the roads and tariffs is achieved, the system may work earlier. 

Nikolay Nankov, Deputy Minister of Regional Development: The bill is a logical consequence of constructive dialogue with the carriers over the past few months. We do not build the system for the opposition in parliament, but for all Bulgarian citizens. We prefer to bear all the political criticisms rather than to put an end to the transport industry.

Nikolay Nankov was categorical that the introduction of this system would not affect the prices of certain goods.

For the functioning of the system, there is already a National Managing Authority, where a total of 629 employees work in specially equipped premises - dispatch station, control room, call centre and others.

Initially, about 6,000 kilometres of the country's road network are expected to be included within the scope of the system. They are mainly transit corridors - highways, first-class roads and partly second-class roads.

A specially designed toll calculator will assist carriers in choosing an optimal route.