Toll system with flaws
At the beginning of March trucks had to start paying tolls on around 3,000 km of the Bulgarian road network. The introduction of the new levy was preceded, however, by long disputes between industry associations and the Bulgarian government.
Bulgaria started operating a new electronic toll system for the first time at the beginning of March – not without having to endure several delays first, as well as bitter disputes between Bulgarian logistics associations and the country’s government.
Passenger transports using the national road network have required a vignette since the beginning of this year, and now freight transport also has to pay a toll for every kilometre covered. The electronic system applies to roads covering a total of 3,115 km, which is equivalent to approximately one sixth of the approximately 20,000 km of roads in the Balkan country.
The actual toll levied varies, and depends on the type of road used, the weight of the vehicle involved, the number of the unit’s axles and its Euro standard. The introduction of the toll system was marked by numerous changes to what the government had originally planned. Initially, inter-city roads in the categories 1 to 3 were set to be subject to the toll too, on top of the motorways. Logisticians’ protests prompted the government to significantly reduce in mid-January both the network covered as well as the tariff for the various categories.
Thus the toll will now only be levied on the use of the country’s 803 km of motorways and its 2,312 km of A roads. Although 2,935 km of category 2 roads are officially also covered by the toll system, no toll is effectively charged on these carriageways. The government is thinking about perhaps making second-class roads subject to tolls at a later date.
The toll proceeds are to be allocated to the state agency for road infrastructure, which enable the authority to better maintain and perhaps even effectively expand the country’s national road network in future. After the electronic toll system has been in action for three months the government intends to review the results.
If it becomes apparent as a result of the analysis at the beginning of June that the revenues generated don’t actually meet the expectations of politicians and society at large, then a tariff increase as well as the inclusion of second-class roads will be taken into consideration.
On-board units annoyed logisticians
Transit trucks can use a route map to mark their point of origin and destination. On-board instruments or GPS trackers may be more useful for vehicles carrying out transport services within the country.
Bulgarian hauliers called for a further postponement of the introduction of the toll system right up to the very eve of its introduction, because they said companies had not been given enough time to equip their vehicles with special on-board instruments or GPS trackers.
They also expressed their displeasure at the fact that the on-board equipment could only be purchased from very few suppliers for a monthly fee of BGN 15.90 (CHF 8.65) over a two-year agreement period, despite the fact that the firms involved additionally earn 7% of every toll charge. Finally, the government agreed to make the equipment available to the country’s hauliers for a deposit of a mere BGN 1 (CHF 0.54).
