Bulgaria TV Films Driver's License Purchase in Tragedy's Wake

The bus that killed 16 near the Bakadzhik peak in southern Bulgaria Thursday. Photo by BGNES

A team of Bulgarian reporters used a hidden camera to film the wide-spread corruption at the State Automobile Administration (DAA).

The video shows how a reporter of the bTV TV channel was able to purchase a category D driver's license, giving him the right to drive a passenger bus, without having to spend any time behind the wheel or to take the necessary psychological evaluations.

The purchase is made from the "RI-Auto" company in the Danube town of Lom.

The above company did not own even a single bus. The reporter was formally registered by them to take a bus driving course at another company - "Arton" in Montana, owner of an old bus, not in drivable condition, The clip shows the 30-year-old bus without battery, covered with cobwebs and overgrown grass.

Only 8 days after being registered for the course, the reporter had been called to take the driving test without ever having driven a bus. The instructor told him not to worry because the test was just a "formality", and he would not actually have to drive anything.

The "course" price in Lom is BNG 500, in Sofia - 800, the investigation further reveals.

Another reporter, from the daily "168 Chassa" (168 Hours), also participated in the filming and was able to obtain a category B driver's license against BGN 320, without having ever been behind the wheel of any type of vehicle. In the mean time, an aspiring driver, who refused to pay a bribe, is still without license, despite taking 47 driving hours and appearing for the driving test 4 times.

The shocking revelations come just one day after the tragic accident near Yambol during which a 61-years-old driver, without a labor contract and a psychological evaluation plowed in a crowd, killing 16.

There are serious suspicions about the legitimacy of the technical check-up of the obsolete bus that caused the accident.

 

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