New amendments to the Road Traffic Act
On 14.09.2017, the National Assembly adopted on second reading the Act for Amendment and Supplement to the Road Traffic Act, which was promulgated on 26.09.2017. The adopted amendments affect various groups of provisions.
For drivers who drive unreasonably in an emergency stopping lane on a motorway is introduced a punishment of deprivation of the right to drive a motor vehicle for three months and a fine of 1000 levs.
The expenses for carrying out of a medical research, for taking of biological samples and for conducting of a chemical research for establishment of the concentration of alcohol in the blood and / or a chemical-toxicological research for establishment of the use of narcotic substances or their analogues shall be at the expense of the person, for whom a blood alcohol concentration of more than 0.5 per thousand has been established by technical means and / or a test has established the use of narcotic substances or their analogues or who has refused the performance of verification by technical means or a test. These expenses shall be at the expense of the authority whose body has appointed the research when the verification carried out by technical means or the test is with poor quality or invalid or the physical condition of the person does not allow the performance of verification by technical means or a test and in the performance of a chemical or a chemical-toxicological research has not been established a blood alcohol concentration of more than 0.5 per thousand and / or the use of narcotic substances or their analogues.
Non-rail vehicles of the regular passenger public transportation lines are allowed to move on traffic roadways designated for rail vehicle traffic.
A requirement for a graduated 10th grade for issuance of a driving license is introduced.
The transfer of ownership of a registered vehicle of a person without a permanent address or address registration in the Republic of Bulgaria shall be effected by a written contract with notary certification of the signatures after termination of the registration of the vehicle and the return of the registration plates.
The acquirer of a registered vehicle shall be obliged within one month to register the acquired vehicle at the office for registration of vehicles at the permanent address or registered address of the owner, except when the vehicle has been acquired by a merchant for the purpose of sale. This requirement shall also be applied in the cases of acquisition of the ownership of a vehicle outside the Republic of Bulgaria or of acquisition of the ownership by public sale.
A parked vehicle is allowed to be relocated without the knowledge of its owner or the driver authorised by the latter when the vehicle is parked in a paid parking area and the due price has not been paid as well as when there are used technical means for forcible detention of the vehicle for which the due price has not been paid and after the permitted parking time has elapsed.
The Act also regulates the research with an alcohol analyzer showing the concentration of alcohol in the blood by measuring it in the exhaled air and taking into account the content of alcohol in the upper respiratory tract.
