The state and NGOs are discussing options for easing heavy-duty traffic in the country

On the initiative of the Minister of Transport and Communications, Georgi Gvozdeikov, a meeting was held between more than 10 institutions related to the problems of the transport industry. It was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, the Employment Agency, the National Security State Agency, the Border Police Directorate, the National Police Directorate, the Road Infrastructure Agency ", "National Toll Administration", "Automotive Administration" Executive Agency, Bulgarian Food Safety Agency, as well as a wide range of representatives of the branch organizations from the transport sector.

 "We are obliged to create conditions for the work of the branch, because the Bulgarian economy is largely based on transport," said Minister Georgi Gvozdeikov at the beginning. He outlined the need for urgent action to facilitate passage through border checkpoints on our northern border, ease traffic in repair areas, speed up procedures for third-country workers and more timely awareness of the introduction of border disinfection charges.

At the beginning of the week, representatives of the Romanian embassy were invited to a meeting at the Ministry of Transport and Communications regarding the request of transport companies to separate the flow of trucks from the European Union and third countries, the minister said. He assured that this matter will be discussed by an expert group from the Bulgarian and Romanian transport ministries, and Romania is currently expected to name its representatives to start the concrete talks.

In order to ease traffic, last week at a meeting with the Bulgarian ambassador in Romania, the possibilities of using the ferry line at Tutrakan were also discussed, Georgi Gvozdeikov added. On the part of the branch, they raised the problem that the working hours of the employees of the border posts on the Bulgarian and Romanian sides at the Kardam and Durankulak posts are not synchronized, and this creates additional delays for travelers.

The representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs specified that the traffic through the border points at Vidin and Ruse has increased by 30% and only since the beginning of the year 1.2 million trucks have passed through there.

In connection with the faster passage in the repair and construction sections of the roads in the country, the companies of the transport industry requested to have police teams on the bypass roads to avoid tension with the residents of the settlements of the regions. The Road Infrastructure Agency indicated that steps are being considered to work on construction sites at night in order to implement projects more quickly.

Road infrastructure repairs are not an obstacle for traffic across the Danube bridge near Ruse, reported the Chairman of the Board of the Road Infrastructure Agency Yordan Valchev. He pointed out that since the beginning of the reconstruction of the bridge, there have been 40% more passenger cars than in the same period last year, and heavy goods traffic has remained at the same volume. A telephone line is about to be launched for reporting violations that are related to the work of the employees of the toll system, as well as to violators on the road, the National Toll Administration announced.

Regarding the measures to disinfect cars at the borders, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food, Deyan Stavrev, said that this is a mandatory prevention when there is an established worsening epizootic situation in a neighboring country. The Bulgarian Food Safety Agency emphasized the seriousness of the situation and explained that there are currently outbreaks of various diseases in all countries around us and the Bulgarian state is making every effort to prevent them from entering our country.

Minister Gvozdeikov declared his readiness to convene a working group next week with representatives of the Ministry of the Interior, the State Department of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, and the industry to discuss the issue of hiring workers from countries outside the European Union. A conversation will also be held with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of e-Government to specify the terms of operation of the platform for optimizing the processing of documents of third-party job applicants.