Dozens of truck drivers were sanctioned and had their driver's licenses taken away near Montana, NOVA reports.
It all happened yesterday. The RIA closed the E-79 from Vidin to Montana for repairs. Traffic was redirected. The drivers claim that there was a sign in Vidin to pass through the third-class road. They continued straight towards Montana, but did not observe the other signs that, according to the RIA, were there. According to the Agency, the trucks should have passed through other villages, not the ones they passed through. When they reached Montana, the drivers were fined by the police for violating traffic signs.
„After Dunavtsi, in the direction of Dimovo, there were signs for closure in both directions and a sign saying „Mandatory left”. We drive along the road. There are no signs indicating where we should exit. We see that there is a sign „Prohibited for 12 tons”, we know this ban, but there is nothing we can do. We were in groups of 5-6 trucks. It is not just one, you could say that he is being cunning”, said one of the fined drivers.
The drivers also expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that their licenses were taken away.
„They were waiting for us here. Now that they have taken my license, another driver from the company must come. So we will arrive in Sofia at night and tomorrow we will unload the food products”, he said.
“A temporary organization has been introduced on the territory of Vidin district by the Regional Road Administration - Vidin, which, however, does not affect the territory of the republican road III-112 in the section from Topolovets to the town of Montana. Due to a signal received on the 112 telephone about the movement of numerous trucks in the prohibited section, they were identified before entering the town of Montana on the third-class road and the appropriate administrative action was taken against them”, said senior inspector Krasimir Kirilov.
He explained that the road signs that the drivers violated are at the junction of roads III-114 and III-112, in the area of Topolovets. Then there is a sign before the village of Smirnenski, before and after the village of Slavotin, in the village of Doktor Yosifovo.
Inspector Kirilov said that he could not answer regarding the temporary organization of traffic on the territory of the Vidin regional administration.
According to him, the vehicles were supposed to drive on road II-11 to the Dobri Dol region, from there on the third-class road III-112 to Topolovets, where they were supposed to turn towards Ruzhintsi and return to E-79.
API responded to NOVA that yesterday morning they had put up signs where heavy goods vehicles over 12 tons should pass. The drivers claim that there were no such signs initially. Their colleagues said that later there were already signs and a patrol car to redirect.