Minister Lilyana Pavlova: The Procedure for Selection of a Contractor for Introduction of a Toll System in Bulgaria Could Start up to Several Weeks

Opening of a public procurement procedure for selection of a contractor who will introduce software and hardware the toll system is envisaged in the next weeks. Through the toll system revenues for passing along the national road network based on the distance traveled will be collected from heavy goods vehicle over 3.5 tons. This was announced by the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, Mrs. Lilyana Pavlova, during the 11th Annual Conference Strategic Infrastructure and Investments. She added that vehicles up to 3.5 tons will still have to buy a vignette, which will be an electronic one and will be valid for a year as of the date of its purchase. The introduction of electronic vignettes will stop theft of the current paper vignette stickers, as there is such a practice lately, noted the Minister. 

Pavlova informed, that there would be two ways for paying the tolls– by board unit or by pre-paid road maps for transit passing, which could be purchased at the border, on-line or at gas-stations.
The tolls and the electronic vignette will be paid for all motorways as well as first and second class roads, stressed the Minister. As for the third class road network they will be valid for the roads along which heavy goods vehicles pass along. This applies to about 17,000 km of a total of 20,000 km national road network. There are 3000 km roads, leading to small settlements, for which no fee will be charged, she added. The Regional Minister said that revenues totaling BGN 250-260 mln., instead of the former BGN 200 mln. per year, will be collected due to the increased vignettes’ price as of this year. We expect double rise of the revenues from fees for passing along the national road network after the introduction of the toll system, said she. 

The Road Infrastructure Agency will be a contracting authority of the procedure for introduction of the toll system, informed Pavlova. A situation center, where team of experts from the Road Infrastructure Agency and the Ministry of Interior will work together, will be established. We envisage 50 mobile teams to patrol, 50 new mobile cameras to be purchased and an increase of the number of frames with stationary cameras so that their number would reach 300, noted she. Regarding the implementation of the road projects the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works said that 2015 was the strongest for the last 25 years. Total of 300 km motorway sections have already been completed as their total length reached 800 km. Over 2500 km first, second and third class roads have been rehabilitated.  

As priority projects she pointed out the completion of Hemus motorway, Struma motorway and the work on the directions Vidin – Vratsa, Ruse – Veliko Tarnovo, Kalotina – Sofia, the implementation of the tunnel under Shipka peak and the rehabilitation of the existing infrastructure.  

As for the road safety the regional minister informed that the most dangerous sections have been prioritized and additional road signs and guardrails have been put to secure them. By the end of the year the engineering design approach will be changed as the regulation for design and construction will be updated in order to secure the passengers’ safety, said Lilyana Pavlova.