Part of the business will continue to suffer from the fact that our country is not allowed to the open land borders in Schengen. Transport companies are among the most affected. The total export of our country to the European Union was over BGN 42 billion from January to September last year. A significant part of it is overland. 200 million euros are the direct losses per year for carriers from our remaining outside the land Schengen, expert estimates show.
Long waits at borders lead to higher costs for driver wages and truck depreciation. Thus, the value of the goods being transported increases. “Fuel costs are double, inflation is increasing, toll taxis are calculated, because if you get a route card, it is for a limited time, the longer you sit, the more you have to pay, because you do not perform any service during that time, the state does not interested”
This was commented to bTV by the lawyer Yoanna Lalova from the European transport cluster, quoted by novini.bg
With a long stay at the borders and the transport of perishable goods, there are also losses from cargo damage.
“Europe says – we must have green rules, the green deal, the carbon footprint, yes – but these trucks sit in one place for 7-8 hours and move at a rate of two meters,” Lalova points out.
In tourism, staying outside Schengen by land means waiting for buses of tourists at the borders. And that increases travel time. “If we will have to have a longer transition, then we have to take into account a second driver, which means that the price will also be more expensive”, points out Pavlina Ilieva from “Future for Tourism”.
Companies that work with tourists from third countries report that it will be easier for them if our country is a full member of Schengen, because now people choose other companies from the European Union when they decide to travel.
