[size=75:3e5gjg63]novinite 16 March 2010

Bulgaria Transport Minister: 20 000 Driving Licenses Sold Yearly

Bulgaria Transport Minister Alexander Tsvetkov has stated that the official crackdown on driving test corruption will be successful.

Tsvetkov, speaking on bTV Tuesday, said that 15-20 000 driving licenses are currently sold every year for a minimum price of BGN 300. He added that “not even the most tentative attempt to stop the black market in driving licenses was made in the last 4-5 years.”

Tsvetkov said that the “warm” relationship between driving instructors and examiners led to an ideal environment for corruption...there was no examiner who was not also an instructor.”

He continued that changes made to the system last summer when the center-right GERB party came to power meant that the corrupt practices had been stopped in their tracks, with Bulgaria following tested EU models.

The changes have involved cameras being placed in both the written test centers and the examiners cars. The written tests are also now anonymous. Tsvetkov concluded that an internal control unit will deal precisely with the stored data from the cameras.

The Bulgarian 'war on the roads' leaves over 1000 people dead each year, making it one of the most dangerous places to drive in the EU.