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Ombudsman Diana Kovacheva

Diana Kovacheva was born in Sofia in 1975. She graduated in law at the Sofia University "St. Kliment insisted to the acting Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Policies and Minister of Transport and Communications Hristo Alexiev that the rights of students and pensioners be protected after the adoption of the additional compensation measure of reductions for bus transport - Decree No. 10 of 25.01.2023 of the Council of Ministers The Ombudsman also asked MTS to check how all municipalities implement this Decree.

The reason for this recommendation of the ombudsman are specific complaints and reports received from citizens - parents of students who travel on the bus line Sunny Beach - Burgas.

They complain that, as a result of the measure that came into force, the prices of the transport documents for students are increasing instead of decreasing.

According to them, the increased price of the transport documents is the result of an incorrect interpretation of the Decree by the carrier company.

Kovacheva points out that the ombudsman's institution is approached with complaints by pensioners who expected their public transport cards to be cheaper.

The public defender gives the example of the capital, where the reduction in prices is not a fact for pensioners who have the right to preferential travel, because the price of the transport document is now below the amount that would have been obtained after the implementation of the Decree.

City transport in Sofia became more expensive with the changes

"In connection with the limitation in application of the Decree - to persons who retired upon reaching the age under Art.

68, para.

1-3 of the Social Security Code (SSC), I consider it necessary to draw attention to the fact that I sent an opinion to the Metropolitan Municipal Council during the public consultations on the Ordinance on Amendments and Supplements to the Ordinance on the Rules and Conditions for Travel by Public Urban Transport on the territory of the Metropolitan Municipality, in connection with the limited right to preferential travel for pensioners - only for persons receiving a pension under the conditions of ch.

VI of CSR, who have reached the age of majority according to Art.

68, para.

1 - 3 of the same code – the general principle for a retired person.

In this way, persons are excluded, for example, who retired: one year earlier than the required age, who have the required insurance experience;

as military personnel;

working under the conditions of the first and second category of work;

as teachers, etc.," writes Diana Kovacheva

Diana Kovacheva was born in Sofia in 1975. She graduated in law at Sofia University "St. Kliment.

She is categorical that it is unfair and unjustified to offer preferential travel conditions only to a certain group of pensioners, because the difference between them is only in the conditions for acquiring the right to a pension, she also adds that the listed sample groups of pensioners are excluded from the Decree.

"On the occasion of the complaints received at the institution and in my capacity as a public defender, I am very concerned about the extent to which the rights of certain groups - students and pensioners - are protected as a result of the measure adopted by the Council of Ministers for additional compensation of the reductions for bus transport.

On the basis of the Law on the Ombudsman, I am turning to you for an opinion on the above, expecting you to familiarize me with the measures taken by the Ministry of Transport and Communications to clarify the implementation of the Decree", Prof. Kovacheva also writes, expecting to be informed about the results of the inspection as well the increased prices of student cards on the Sunny Beach - Burgas line.

Diana Kovacheva

Metropolitan public transport

Bulgarian students

pensioners

Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria