Public Relations and Protocol

Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Peev sent a letter to the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria concerning free travel on public transport for children under the age of 14.

The letter follows a growing number of cases in which, due to technical incompatibility between the fare control systems used in different municipalities, the validity of an electronic travel card issued in another municipality cannot be verified. 

Bulgaria and Türkiye will work in closer coordination on the development of transport infrastructure and the implementation of strategic projects aimed at improving connectivity between the two countries. This emerged during a meeting in Sofia between Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Peev and Türkiye’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu.

Today, at 10:36 a.m., the Aviation Search and Rescue Coordination Centre received a report that a powered hang glider carrying two people had crashed into the sea approximately 200–300 metres from the shore.

Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Peev has expressed a firm position on the case involving a minor with special needs who was made to leave a bus:

“Removing a passenger from a bus because their travel pass has expired may formally comply with the rules, but that cannot justify a lack of humanity. When the passenger is a minor with special needs, such an action is not merely unacceptable – it puts the child’s health and life at risk.”

Minister Peev stressed that transport operators have a responsibility that goes beyond the letter of the law:

“I cannot accept as normal a situation in which a child is left alone, in temperatures approaching 40 degrees, without an accompanying adult and unable to find their way. This is morally wrong and falls short of the standards we expect from every transport operator and driver.”

Minister Georgi Peev instructed the management of the Executive Agency Road Transport Administration to complete its inspection of the transport company as quickly as possible. The Agency will also cooperate with the competent authorities in establishing the circumstances of the case. 

“Situations like this must not happen again. I expect all transport operators to act with humanity, particularly towards children and people in vulnerable situations,” Minister Peev stated.

The Ministry of Transport and Communications has enhanced its published register of water sports facilities by introducing an interactive map displaying all registered sites along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. The digital tool brings together information on all registered facilities in one place, providing citizens, tourists and businesses with a convenient way to locate them.

Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Peev met with parents and relatives of children who lost their lives in road traffic accidents, as well as representatives of non-governmental organisations working in the field of road safety.

“You are our most important partners in this process. You are best placed to present an objective picture of the situation and to tell us what needs to be done to improve road safety,” Minister Peev said during his meeting with the parents.

At the initiative of Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Peev, a working meeting was held at the National Toll Administration to improve the effectiveness of government enforcement and enhance road safety. The meeting was attended by Minister of the Interior Ivan Demerdzhiev, Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Ivan Shishkov, Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Hristina Velinova, Deputy Minister of Justice Iva Kecheva, Director of the National Toll Administration Prof.

The Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Peev sent a letter to all port operators in the country with instructions to take additional measures so that overloaded trucks do not enter and exit the ports.

In the letter, Minister Peev draws attention to cases of traffic accidents with vehicles that left the ports while overloaded.

The Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Peev held a working meeting with representatives of aviation industry organizations and airport operators, where key priorities for the sustainable development of Bulgaria’s civil aviation and the improvement of the country’s regulatory policy were discussed.

A flight of the Polish airline LOT on the Warsaw-Tel Aviv route, using an Airbus A320 of the Bulgarian airline Elektra Airways, made an emergency landing at Burgas Airport.

The reason for the diversion is a technical malfunction in the aircraft’s transponder, which transmitted a false signal of unlawful interference/hijacking. The established procedure for airspace protection – Air Policing was triggered. After confirming that there was no real threat on board, the plane left the country via Türkiye.

Bulgaria and Türkiye will work together with the European Commission to develop the Middle Corridor between Asia and Europe. The Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Peev and the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure of Türkiye Abdulkadir Uraloğlu confirmed during a phone conversation. 

The Bulgarian delegation discussed support for Ukraine’s reconstruction and regional connectivity in Gdańsk.

Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Peev participated in the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk, Poland. He was accompanied by Deputy Minister Hristina Velinova. Both are part of the Bulgarian delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Investment and Industry Alexander Pulev.

„The people I see here are professionals who love their work, but the working conditions are more than desperate“. This was stated by Mr. Georgi Peev, Minister of Transport and Communications during an inspection of the Nadezhda Railway wagon depot. Together with Deputy Minister Tsveta Timeva, he reviewed on site the maintenance activities for some of the recently delivered German passenger wagons, as well as the storage and preservation conditions of the last two new Škoda electric multiple-unit trains.

Bulgaria supported the position for a balanced approach and protection of the transport competitiveness during the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (Transport) of the EU. 

The General Directorate “Civil Aviation Administration”, in partnership with the European Consumer Centre – Bulgaria, is launching its annual information campaign aimed at raising awareness of passenger rights when travelling by air.

Experts will provide guidance to citizens regarding compensation for delayed or cancelled flights, denied boarding, as well as issues related to baggage, including damage, loss, or delay.

Two events are scheduled:

Infrastructure modernisation and investment in human resources are among the key priorities in the transport sector. This was stated by the Minister of Transport and Communications, Georgi Peev, during a discussion on expediting the development of connectivity in Southeast Europe at the Green Transition Forum 6.0 in Sofia. He pointed out that airports in the region need to expand their capacity. Better connectivity between rail transport, ports, and the road network also remains an important priority.

The Minister of Transport and Communications, Georgi Peev, held a working meeting with the Acting U.S. Ambassador to Bulgaria, His Excellency (H. E.) H. Martin McDowell. The development of regional transport connectivity and high technology were the focus of the discussion.

In the context of a shifting global logistics landscape, Bulgaria and Turkey are establishing themselves as the countries with the greatest capacity to handle the flow of goods and passengers from the Middle East to Europe. This was discussed during a meeting between the Minister of Transport and Communications, Georgi Peev, and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Turkey to Bulgaria, His Excellency (H. E.) Mehmet Sait Uyanık.