Dear citizens,

First of all, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the victims on the bus accident, our fellow citizens, who lost their lives in the bus accident that shook the whole public.
Ministry of Transport and Communications, in cooperation with other state institutions and the Bulgarian authorities are working hard to determine all causes of the accident.

From the aspect of the competencies of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, I would like to highlight a few key things: The carrier submitted a request to the Ministry of Transport and Communications on 18.07.2018 registered under number 08-4127 / 1 for obtaining a license for performing free international passenger transport. Towards the request, they submitted all documentation in accordance with Article 8 of the Law on Transport in road traffic. With this the company fulfilled the conditions provided by the Law and was issued a license to perform international free passenger transport. The carrier submitted proper documentation with valid certificates to the request for fulfilling the technical-exploitation conditions with Euro standard of vehicles Euro 3 standard and Euro 4 standard. They also submitted a list from PDIF to employed drivers in regular working relation.

With the application for a license to perform international free passenger transport, the carrier has met the conditions for obtaining a license and has been issued a license to perform international free transport on passengers with serial number 007017 valid from 08.08.2018 to 08.08.2022 year. According to the complete documentation contained in the system of the Ministry for transport and communications, the carrier so far has a proper license for performing free international passenger transport.

I would like to clarify two things. Within its competences The Ministry issues a license for international free transport of passengers as well as a license statement for each vehicle individually. The driver who performs international passenger transport is obliged to have an international certificate of professional competence of a driver to participate in international transport of passengers and goods. In the system of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the specific carrier is registered with 4 vehicles that have a transport license. According to Article 11 paragraph 1 of the Law on Road Transport, the first responder can start transporting passengers in domestic and international road traffic, after obtaining a license and an extract from a motor license vehicle. After receiving information from the Ministry of Interior about the burnt vehicle, we concluded that the vehicle was not reported by the carrier in accordance with Article 11 paragraph 5 of the Law on Road Transport traffic and therefore the vehicle is not exiting in the electronic database of Ministry of Transport and Communications.

According to this article of the Law, the carrier is obliged immediately, and at the latest in within 15 days, to notify the Ministry of Transport and Communications of all changes in terms of eligibility (this means checking in and checking out a vehicle or checking in and checking out driver etc). I would like to emphasize that the control and supervision of passenger transport and goods in domestic and international road traffic is the responsibility of State Transport Inspectorate. In case of ascertained offence and upon the proposal of the State transport inspectorate, the Ministry of Transport and Communications may revoke the license of the carrier.

Because from the information received so far, the carrier was performing international transport without a certificate from the license for the specific vehicle, based on Article 12 paragraph 2 line 1 of the Law on Road Transport, the Ministry of transport and communications as a competent authority, initiated a procedure for confiscation of the carrier's operating license.

I would also like to inform that at today's Government session, The government instructed the State Transport Inspectorate to carry out an emergency supervisory supervision.

Once again I would like to express my deepest condolences to the families of killed in this terrible accident and to assure that the Ministry with its services remains open for further cooperation with all institutions, in order to clear up this tragic act that has befallen us all.

With respect.