The reform of the Road Infrastructure Agency (RIA) will be carried out in two stages, Podkrepa Confederation of Labour Vice President Ioannis Parteniotis told journalists, following a meeting with the RIA leadership, which was also attended by National Toll Administration (NTA) Director Oleg Asenov.
The first stage of the reform will last four months. During this period, a new organizational regulation for the RIA will be adopted, which will govern the restructuring and the reallocation of some of the National Toll Administration’s functions. 505 staff positions within the NTA will be cut. Some of these individuals will be offered the opportunity to continue their employment in other state institutions.
To this end, a collaborative process is set to begin on November 11, involving the trade unions, the leadership of the National Toll Administration, and the human resources departments of the Interior Ministry and the Customs Agency, with the aim of establishing criteria for their potential appointment elsewhere. Parteniotis explained that there are differences in the requirements and operational frameworks of the two administrations. Personnel within the control bodies of the Interior Ministry must meet the requirements of the Ministry of the Interior Act, whereas employees of the Customs Agency fall under the provisions of the Customs Act and, for the most part, the Civil Servants Act.
Regarding the regional road administrations, the contracts of approximately 85 to 87 individuals are expected to be terminated. While the exact figures will vary across the different regional offices, engineering and technical specialists will not be affected, Parteniotis clarified. The staff reductions will primarily impact administrative personnel, including employees currently responsible for public procurement. This function will be consolidated within the RIA’s central headquarters. According to Parteniotis, staff reductions within the regional road administrations must be completed by the end of 2026, as no funding has been allocated for these positions in the 2027 budget.
He described the outcome of the meeting as a mix of good and bad news. “The good news is that there is an end to this madness; after all, a ‘terrible end’ is better than ‘endless terror’,” Parteniotis remarked.
Responding to a question regarding the future of the National Toll Administration, Asenov explained that a new executive agency under the Transport Ministry will be established to take over the toll collection functions currently handled by the National Toll Administration. According to him, the new structure is provided for in a Council of Ministers decision related to the road safety plan. He explained that the new agency will continue to perform the functions of a revenue-collecting agency and will also be responsible for processing data related to risk profiles and providing this information to a unified control authority.
Asenov clarified that a portion of the National Toll Administration’s current staff will be transferred to the new agency, primarily employees engaged in collecting road tolls, maintaining and administering the electronic toll collection system, and maintenance of the roadside equipment.
The reform is planned to take place in two stages, allowing for a transition period during which the enforcement functions of the National Toll Administration are gradually transferred to the unified control authority. This will ensure operational continuity while the new entity and its enforcement mechanisms become fully functional.
Road Infrastructure Agency Reform to Proceed in Two Stages, 420 Employees to Be Laid Off THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-10-22 14:21:17
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