Automobile costs

Drivers will not be required to show their electronic vignette or any proof of payment, as the authorities will do checks electronically, the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works said.

This is part of the draft decree on the setting up and operation of the mixed toll system for road vehicles, published by the ministry for public discussion.

Some 1 million vehicle owners have just four days left before Saturday's deadline by which their car, truck or motor cycle must have passed a roadworthiness test at a public or private roadworthiness testing center (KTEO), otherwise they face an additional fine of 150 euros to be imposed through the Finance Ministry's Taxisnet.

Electronic vignette stickers will be sold at 500 terminals in the country. Drivers will be able to buy them via a mobile application or through the Road Infrastructure Agency website. The first tests of the terminals were made in the presence of journalists yesterday, 18th of September, and the system will come into effect from the beginning of next year.

Sofia. The Parliament has adopted today final amendments to the Roads Act, which introduce a mixed system for charging different categories of motor vehicles and fees based on time and distance travelled, Focus News Agency reports. The amount of the fees will be proposed by the regional minister and the minister of finance.

Sofia. The toll system will increase the income for road maintenance and repair two- to threefold, Stefan Chaikov, former manager of the Road Infrastructure Agency and World Bank consultant on the introduction of the new system, said in an interview with Focus News Agency.

Sofia. Toll proceeds will not fund municipal roads, other options will be sought for those roads, GERB MP Aleksandar Nenkov told reporters in connection with the draft on roads, Focus News Agency reports. Nenkov explained that all proceeds from the toll system would be channelled to road maintenance, but not to municipal infrastructure.

Greece's Regulatory Authority for Energy (RAE) reportedly called on the Economy Ministry to impose a nationwide price cap on fuel prices through an automatic activation mechanism during a meeting on Tuesday. The ministry, however, is said to disagree with the move.

Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) reported on Aug. 1 a total of 536,916 road motor vehicles were registered in the first half of this year.

Over BGN 800 million revenue is expected to be generated anually by the new toll system in Bulgaria. This information is from a written response by the regional minister, Nikolay Nankov, following a question by the BSP MP - Georgi Gikov.

Only eco-cars will have access to the center of Sofia, and air polluters will not be allowed to enter. This measure is according to a regulation of the transport ministry. Eco cars will feature a sticker and a built-in chip, which will be obtained with a successful technical inspection.