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Bulgaria Transport Minister Georgi Peev Calls for Revised Truck Restriction Order
Transport Minister Georgi Peev said he expects the Road Infrastructure Agency (API) to deliver a corrected order on truck movement restrictions later today. He criticised the current decree for lacking clear rules on temporary limits, creating uncertainty for carriers and endangering drivers who must wait in extreme heat without adequate parking facilities.
Peev highlighted that trucks over 12 tonnes were barred from travelling between 16:00‑23:00 on Friday and 16:00‑20:00 on Sunday, and that police patrols began stopping heavy‑truck traffic on the Struma highway. After the minister’s intervention, API announced new criteria that would only halt trucks when temperatures rise above 35 °C, primarily in the Ruse region and other specific points such as the Kresna defile, without affecting the whole motorway network.
Industry leaders, including the Chamber of Carriers’ director Dimitar Dimitrov, warned that the sudden restrictions cause large financial losses because routes cannot be planned. They also expressed full support for stricter controls, noting that foreign operators rarely run technically defective vehicles, while domestic trucks often suffer from worn tyres and overloading, which the minister called “potential killers.”
Entities
Bulgarian truck drivers · Georgi Peev · Ministry of Transport and Communications (Bulgaria) · Road Infrastructure Agency (API) · Ruse region
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [DISPUTED] Trucks over 12 tonnes were restricted from 16:00‑23:00 on Friday and 16:00‑20:00 on Sunday. petel.bg
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Police patrols began intercepting heavy‑truck traffic on the Struma highway. petel.bg
- [● 2 SOURCES] Industry representatives support stricter control, stating that international carriers rarely have technical defects while domestic trucks often have worn tyres and overloads. trafficnews.bg · www.standartnews.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Transport Minister Georgi Peev expects the Road Infrastructure Agency to present a corrected truck restriction order on the same day. trafficnews.bg · petel.bg · www.standartnews.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The transport sector reported large financial losses due to the inability to plan routes under the sudden restrictions. petel.bg
- [● 3 SOURCES] Bulgaria lacks sufficient suitable parking for trucks, forcing drivers to wait in extreme heat without basic facilities. trafficnews.bg · petel.bg · www.standartnews.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] API introduced new criteria that stop heavy trucks only when temperatures exceed 35 °C, applied mainly in Ruse and nearby areas. petel.bg
- [● 3 SOURCES] The current truck restriction order lacks specific rules for temporary limits, creating uncertainty for the transport sector. trafficnews.bg · petel.bg · www.standartnews.com