The Prime Minister ordered the immediate abolition of parking fees at the Schengen border Ruse – Giurgiu

Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev held a conversation with the Minister of Interior Atanas Ilkov, the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Violeta Koritarova, the Minister of Transport and Communications Krasimira Stoyanova, the Director of the Customs Agency Georgi Dimov and the Regional Governor of Ruse Dragomir Draganov regarding the signals of a problem with the free passage across the Danube Bridge. The Prime Minister ordered that measures be taken immediately to reorganize traffic so as to avoid any difficulties for traffic and to strictly implement Schengen rules.

The prime minister's order came after a signal broadcast on Nova Television, which showed that crossing the bridge is only possible after taking a number plate from a private parking lot. And this is provided that there is no queue at the "Danube Bridge". In a recording of a conversation held on January 1 between a truck driver traveling from Ruse to Romania, with an employee of one of the private parking lots on the way to the "Danube Bridge", the driver can be heard being threatened with the police if he does not take a number plate. The case is not isolated. Other carriers also found themselves in this situation in the first three days of the new year.

"Why is it necessary? Since January 1, it has already been a Schengen zone and the vehicle passes freely? There is an order from the mayor - all vehicles must register in the virtual queue. Provided that there is currently no traffic," said Ivo Yordanov, a representative of a carrier company.

In the years before we entered Schengen, the virtual queue numbers created a line for truck drivers to cross the border, who waited in kilometer-long queues.

Since the beginning of the year, however, there have been almost no truck queues. That is why carriers are puzzled by what it means for them to pass through a private parking lot for a number with which to continue to the border.

"I called the Automobile Administration, and they don't even know what it's about. On Thursday, I spoke to the "Border Police" in Ruse and the person explained that they have nothing to do with whether someone is standing somewhere outside the zone," Yordanov explained.

The Ministry of Transport stated that they have no authority for the organization and that the purpose of the virtual queue is to help drivers, not hinder them, they explained to Nova TV from there.

The regional ministry transferred the matter to the Ruse Municipality.

"Truck Parking Ruse" is in the urbanized territory of the city of Ruse and is managed by the Ruse Municipality. The Roads Act regulates that the organization of traffic on the territory of a settlement is carried out by the respective municipality," the ministry said in a statement.

The team of the mayor of Ruse responded that the local authorities will comment on the topic on Monday.