Opinion on a Draft Ordinance for Amendment and Supplementation of the Ordinance on the Organization of Traffic and Parking within the Territory of the Municipality of Plovdiv

TO

THE MAYOR OF PLOVDIV MUNICIPALITY

Plovdiv, P.C. 4000, "St. Stambolov" Square No. 1

COPY TO:

THE CHAIRMAN OF THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL – PLOVDIV Plovdiv, P.C. 4000, "Avksentiy Veleshki" St. No. 20

COPY TO:

ALL MEMBERS OF THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL – PLOVDIV Plovdiv, P.C. 4000, "Avksentiy Veleshki" St. No. 20

COPY TO:

THE REGIONAL GOVERNOR OF PLOVDIV REGION Plovdiv, P.C. 4002, "N. Mushanov" Square No. 1

FROM:

Association "National Representation of the Bulgarian Startup Entrepreneurial Community" (BESCO)

POSITION

REGARDING: Draft Ordinance on Amendment and Supplement to the Ordinance on the Organisation of Traffic and Parking on the Territory of Plovdiv Municipality (title amended — Decision No. 350, Minutes No. 19 of 22.12.2020)

DEAR LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

We present to your attention the position of the Bulgarian Startup Association (BESCO) regarding the amendments to the Draft Ordinance on Amendment and Supplement to the Ordinance on the Organisation of Traffic and Parking on the Territory of Plovdiv Municipality (title amended — Decision No. 350, Minutes No. 19 of 22.12.2020).

BESCO is an organisation representing over 500 startup, scaleup and larger technology companies that develop and provide innovative products and/or services with high added value.

With this position, we express our stance against the Draft Ordinance on Amendment and Supplement to the Ordinance on the Organisation of Traffic and Parking on the Territory of Plovdiv Municipality, specifically with regard to the amendments to Art. 19a, which introduce a paid parking regime in the "Blue Zone" and "Green Zone," as well as in the "Sports Complex for Recreation and Culture" zone, for electric vehicles.

According to the latest research, Bulgaria is one of the few countries in the European Union that offers no incentives for the purchase of a new electric vehicle. The European Commission has for some time been preparing a package of measures to ensure a reduction in harmful CO2 emissions by 55% by 2030, and by 100% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels. Some of these measures are directed at additional fees and taxes for manufacturers of vehicles with polluting internal combustion engines (ICE) and users of such vehicles. Correspondingly, a number of European countries are already applying various incentive measures, most often of a financial nature, to encourage people to switch to electric vehicles — such is the spirit of the European Commission's initiative as well.

In order for Bulgaria not to fall behind European and global trends, it is necessary to take measures at the national and above all at the local level to stimulate and promote the more ecologically clean use of electric vehicles. At present, however, the only benefit for owners of a purely electric vehicle, or incentive for purchasing one, is free parking in the green and blue zones in major cities.

Restricting the possibility of free parking in the blue and green zones in a regional city of the scale of Plovdiv would undoubtedly have a negative impact on the willingness of the city's residents, especially those living in the central area, to replace their old ICE vehicles with electric ones and to travel by electric vehicle. This will deprive a number of people of the opportunity to take advantage of European incentives for purchasing electric vehicles, which are aimed primarily at low-income households, people with disabilities, large families and other disadvantaged people.

Separately from the above, it should also be noted that more and more people, especially local or foreign visitors, prefer to use electric vehicles for transportation, whether personal or rented. This mode of travel has been gaining popularity recently due to a number of economic and social factors, such as the increase in the price of conventional fuels, the development of environmentally conscious habits, and the overall reputation of electric vehicles in recent years as an effective and economical form of transport. The introduction of a restriction on free parking for electric vehicles in the blue and green zones and in the sports complex zone in the city of Plovdiv would also lead to a decline in visitors to the city as a well-known tourist destination.

In light of the above, BESCO considers that in the long term, the amendment of Art. 19a of the Ordinance on the Organisation of Traffic and Parking on the Territory of Plovdiv Municipality at this stage of development of European policies would have a negative effect on the economic development of the city and would be detrimental to the local population.