Plovdiv Municipal Council to vote on public order amendments

The Plovdiv Municipal Council is set to vote on amendments to the Ordinance for Ensuring Public Order. A major component of the proposal is the introduction of unpaid community service for repeat offenders of public order and systemic panhandling. Such penalties, ranging from 40 to 200 hours per year for up to two consecutive years, would be determined by a District Court rather than municipal inspectors or the mayor.

The proposed changes also address regulations for businesses with extended working hours. Following legal objections regarding the presumption of innocence, the final draft has been modified. Instead of revoking extended hours permits based solely on initial violation reports, the municipality will now only revoke permits after two violations have resulted in finalized, legally binding penal decrees.