The introduction of the vignette system will improve the current state of roads and will set up an entirely new philosophy of road infrastructure financing

The introduction of the vignette system will improve the current state of roads and will set up an entirely new philosophy of road infrastructure financing, said Regional Development and Public Works Deputy Minister Rumen Mitov at a press conference following the adoption by the Council of Ministers of Amendments and Supplements to Tariff № 14 for charges collected within the system of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works and the Regulation on the conditions and system of collecting vignette charges for paid use of specified republican roads for a specified term. The establishment of the National Road Infrastructure Fund gives an opportunity to accumulate funds which will be used only for rehabilitation of roads, added Deputy Minister Rumen Mitov. The collected sums of vignette charges will be received by the Fund. Vehicles will pay vignette charges only if they use the republican road network. Up to now the collected sums of road tax have been received by the municipal budgets and expended in the opinion of municipalities. The vignette system takes an effect on 1 April 2004 in regard to heavy freight vehicles of more than two axles and passenger vehicles of more than 8 seats. Cars will pay vignette charges as of 1 January 2005. Transporters may choose among annual, monthly and weekly vignette. In 2004 vignette charges will be paid in district road offices of the Road Executive Agency and at the cross border checkpoints. A vignette sticker will be stuck on the right windscreen as of 2005, announced Christina Chakarova from the Transport and Communications Institute. PR & International Relations Directorate