News

We change training, examinations and control of young drivers. This was announced by Deputy Minister of Transport, Information Technologies and Communications Angel Popov at today's conference "Together for Safer Roads", organized by the Union of Bulgarian Motorists. In his words, these issues were laid down in the division of the Road Traffic Act and the creation of two new laws - the Vehicle Drivers Act and the Road Vehicles Act, as well as the legal framework for them.

EUR 3.3 million can be awarded to the Bulgarian municipalities that apply for the European Commission WiFi4EU initiative for high quality internet in the centers of public life. The voucher portal will be open on November 7 (Wednesday) from 2 p.m. (GMT) to 6 p.m. on November 9 (Friday) 2018.

The budget of the competition is € 42,000,000, which will fund a total of 2800 municipalities in the European Union. Funding for each country can be up to 8% of total funding.

The thematic plan for issuing postage stamps, postal products and special postage stamps for 2019 was approved by the Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Rossen Jeliazkov.

The philatelic year will begin with the launch of a post-philatelic edition dedicated to the 125th anniversary of the first self-publishing of the novel Under the Yoke. A postage stamp "Bulgarian folk costumes" is envisaged for a final finish in 2019.

WiFi4EU competition, under the European Commission’s initiative for free public WiFi access, will be launched on Wednesday, November 7, 2018. Some 229 Bulgarian municipalities have already applied for participation. The day the competition is open representatives of the Bulgarian local authorities who have already applied, will only have to press the register button. The remaining 36 municipalities have enough time until November 7 to apply and participate in the competition.

The transport system has an acute need for educated and well-qualified man-power, desiring to develop in this sector, stated Deputy Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Velik Zanchev at a graduation ceremony of 2018 graduates with a bachelor's degree  of  “Todor Kableshkov” University of Transport. He stressed that the sector is developing extremely dynamically and staffing in railways, metro, maritime transport, aviation and road construction is a key factor for progress.

The Black Sea offers great communication opportunities to the benefit of countries even outside its region, said the Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications, Rossen Jeliazkov, at a bilateral meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, Elmar Mammadyarov.

Within the Informal EU Transport Council, 29-30 October, 2018, Minister Jeliazkov participated in a joint meeting with Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Poland, Estonia, Ireland and Malta on Mobility Package I. All the participants in the meeting shared the position not to accept vehicle-return regulation as it is a measure to increase empty trips and increase CO2 emissions from heavy-duty vehicles. It was highlighted that drivers shall be free to choose where to have rests.

Within the EU Informal Council of the Ministers of Transport, October 29-30, 2018, Minister Jeliazkov held talks with his counterparts from Austria, Romania, Spain, Portugal, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia putting forward Bulgarian arguments on the controversial issues in Mobility Package I. He was firm in his disagreement with the disproportional, discriminatory and dividing rules for member states. Minister Jeliazkov sought support for the proposal removal the regulation for vehicle return highlighting Bulgaria’s peripheral location.

On 29 and 30 October, Minister Rossen Jeliazkov took part in the Informal Council of Transport Ministers of the EU. The Ministers discussed the legislative proposal of the European Commission on the termination of summertime switch and the Bulgarian party highlighted the importance of a harmonized approach and a realistic transition period. In the session on road safety, the significance of the issue for Bulgaria was pinpointed.

The Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications, Rossen Jeliazkov, held a meeting with World Bank’s Chief Executive Officer, Kristalina Georgieva, to discuss issues of mutual interest with the forthcoming concession of Sofia Airport being the focus of the talks.

Modern infrastructure is essential for providing logistics services, so both the government and businesses are working to develop an integrated, modern and sustainable transport system. This was stated by Deputy Minister of Transport, Information Technologies and Communications Dimitar Genovsky before the participants in the Sixth Logistics Business Conference. "A good indicator of the success of our efforts is the growth in shipments of goods and people in recent years. In 2017, 136.7 million tonnes of freight and 748.5 million passengers were transported, "he added.

It is good when there are initiatives in our common European home that help to bring about cohesion, mutual acquaintance and, at the same time, justify the resources invested. This was announced by the Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications, Rossen Jeliazkov at the opening of a national Seminar for Support of the Automatic Translation System in the EU eTranslation.

The Deputy Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications, Dimitar Genovski, opened Bulcollecto 2018 International Collectors’ Fair organized by the Bulgarian Philatelists Union within the Autumn International Technical Fair in Plovdiv.

A platform for information exchange between MTITC representatives, the National Assembly Transport Committee, Bulgarian representatives to the EP and sector organizations, was set up to discuss topical issues on Mobility Package I, announced the Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications, Rossen Jeliazkov, before EC representatives during the hearing at the National Assembly on negotiations progress on the Package. In his words, the system presents a tool for the timely exchange of positions and decision-making.

Deputy Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Velik Zanchev participated in the Third Meeting of Ministers of Transport of the countries from Central and Eastern Europe and China. The event, which was held in the period 16-17 October 2018 in Belgrade, was opened by the president of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Zorana Mihajlović.

Dividing the Road Traffic Act into three separate acts will positively affect road safety, said the Executive Director of EA Road Administration at a seminar on RADAR Project – assessment and measures to reduce road risks of the road safety criterion – A vision for better safety, taking place today and tomorrow in the town of Pravets.

The WiFi4EU Free Wireless Internet Initiative Portal is already active and a European Commission funding competition is due to be launched. In this regard, the Ministry of Transport, Information Technologies and Communications (MTITC) has addressed the 227 Bulgarian municipalities registered so far to check their profiles and documents. The remaining 38 municipalities in Bulgaria can also register for the competition. The application deadline is expected to be short, probably within three days.

Deputy Minister of Transport, Information Technologies and Communications Dimitar Genovski together with the Air Force Commander General Major Tsanko Stoykov validated a postcard dedicated to the 130th anniversary of the legendary aviator Simeon Petrov.

At the suggestion of the Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Rossen Jeliazkov, the government terminated the concession procedure at Plovdiv Airport.

The process was initiated by the Council of Ministers Decree No 1120 of 30 December 2016, and in the course of the procedure the Government designated the Concessionaire Consortium between Hainan and Plovdiv Airport Invest. Within the statutory period, the first-ranked participant informed about the impossibility to conclude a concession contract.

We will all together defend our national consolidated position on the Mobility Package texts proposed during the Austrian EU Council presidency. This is what the Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Rossen Jeliazkov said at his first meeting with representatives of the branch organizations of freight transport companies. He expressed his willingness to continue the active dialogue with the branch and the Bulgarian representatives in the European Parliament, regardless of their affiliation to different political families.