Massive protests of transport companies are scheduled for May 19 2008 in 38 towns throughout Bulgaria.
In Sofia, lorries are expected to block the right lane of Tsarigradsko Chousse in the direction of Sofia centre, according to an order signed on May 17 by Sofia mayor Boiko Borissov.
Bulgarian Black Sea city Varna's city hall issued a permit allowing drivers to take their lorries onto the city's streets, starting at 8am. Trade unions said about 150 lorries were expected to block the city on May 19.
Transport companies are protesting against the high prices of fuel and fuel excise duties, as well as against the price of the vignette stickers.
Media reports said that between 6000 and 8000 lorries would take part in what is expect to be the biggest nation-wide protests of transport companies in Bulgaria's history. Taxi and buss drivers were also invited to join the protest, Dimo Ivanov, deputy chairperson of the National federation of taxi drivers, told Bulgarian Focus news agency on May 16.
According to Ivanov, most of Bulgaria's transport companies were facing bankruptcy because of the transport ministry.
He said that the ministry was preparing another “price shock” for transport companies by raising the price of an annual vignette for lorries to 1800 euro as of next year.
This, together with the high prices of diesel, was going to send 98 per cent of about 12 000 transport companies into bankruptcy, Ivanov said.
On May 17 the price for a litre of diesel was 2.47 leva in Sofia's major fuel stations. The annual vignette for lorries and buses was between 550 leva and 1050 leva, depending on the size of the vehicle.
While Bulgarian transport companies are preparing for a strike, some of their Greek colleagues have already taken actions.
On May 11, the country was hit by a strike private fuel tanker truck owners, which left many drivers without fuel in the week after that. Euronews reports showed long queues of motor vehicles waiting outside fuel stations.
Protesters demand price increase by 13 per cent to compensate for rising fuel prices, but the government has offered them only five per cent.
On May 15 the protesters broke ranks and supplies to fuel stations were resumed, Greek daily Kathimerini said.
