The Bulgarian drivers have been experiencing difficult times recently. The taxes levied on old cars went up and 75% of the vehicles in this country (over 3million cars) will be affected by this measure. Moreover, the price of the compulsory Third Party Liability Insurance increased and new changes are expected after the introduction of the Bonus-Malus system. Perhaps, it will take some time, but the Bulgarian drivers should start preparing for these changes and decide whether it is better to make road violations and later pay a higher Third Party Liability Insurance or merely drive carefully and observe the traffic rules. The taxi drivers in Sofia complained that the day-time and night-time fares approved by the Sofia Municipality do not cover their costs on expensive fuels. Moreover, the international haulers were “booked by the EU with a red card” after the adoption of the new Mobility Package, also known as the Macron Package named after the French President Macron. Countries like Germany and France, which were worried by the competition of companies from other member states with lower costs, managed to put forth revised rules, according to which workers posted temporarily to other EU country must get equal pay for equal work in the same place. According to the new Mobility Package, the regular weekly rest of the drivers should happen outside their truck cabin. They must return to their home countries after every four weeks of driving. This package which is supposed to defend the rights and the interests of all EU drivers is practically inapplicable in Bulgaria and would take many Bulgarian haulers out of the EU market. It lifts the bar so high that only the most powerful transport companies will be able to observe it. The Bulgarian companies which operate with 1 or 2 cargo vehicles only do not have the necessary finance to follow strictly the regulations which are meant to defend the free market principles and are against dumping.

Otherwise, Bulgarians love to drive cars and travel in Bulgaria and abroad. Moreover, many Bulgarian citizens like speeding on this country’s old roads. That is why Bulgaria is the EU country with highest number of victims of road traffic. The Bulgarian authorities admit that 25% of the country’s roads are in poor condition.

Many Bulgarian drivers voiced their discontent and launched street protests to protect their interests and rights. However, these protests coincided with other protests against low living standard in this country. The Bulgarian authorities voiced their support to the Bulgarian haulers and are committed to defend their rights. Bulgaria has already asked for a derogation of the new Mobility Package and in the best case scenario will postpone the application of the provisions of the Mobility Package. That is why the Bulgarian haulers threatened to launch a protest in Brussels.

Once dictator Joseph Stalin said during the Second World War that drivers were the only ones he could not cope with. The problems of the Bulgarian drivers remain unsolved and they are expecting from their authorities to undertake measures in support of this important sector of the national economy.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov